12 Shoes to Wear With Mom Jeans to Give the Style an Update
- December 20, 2025
- 0
Mom jeans are high-waisted and typically come in a light-to-medium blue wash. They can be paired with classic footwear like loafers and ballet flats, or given an edge
- Mom jeans are high-waisted and typically come in a light-to-medium blue wash.
- They can be paired with classic footwear like loafers and ballet flats, or given an edge with mules and motorcycle boots.
Mom jeans have received a ton of unfair flak in the fashion world. Not everyone is a fan of the high-waisted denim look, but if you ask us, they’re not only incredibly flattering across a variety of body types, they’re also easy to style with this season’s trending shoe choices.
When paired with skinny sneakers, mom jeans take on an effortlessly cool appeal, while more classic shoe choices like pumps, ballet flats, and loafers can steer the denim into more sophisticated territory. While a heel helps elevate the relaxed silhouette, we’re also a fan of how a pair of motorcycle boots can help rough them up a bit. A spindly heel can help offset an oversize fit, while a chunky sole will complement it.
If you’re still unsure of how to wear your mom jeans, take your inspiration from ‘90s style icons. Many of the same looks still hold up today, including pairing the style with chunky loafers.
Below, discover 12 shoe styles to wear with mom jeans this season.
Ballet Flats
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Ballet flats bring a timeless, classic appeal to faded blue mom jeans. This look is all about layering and graphic lines, like the stripes and structured lapels of the coat and the fitted V-shape that the black vest creates. The jeans’ relaxed silhouette and the round toe of the flats add an element of softness.
Loafers
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While this look incorporates multiple ’80s style elements, including mom jeans and shoulder pads, it still feels fresh for 2026. An understated pair of loafers with a chunky sole adds lift to mom jeans with a relaxed fit, while a graphic tee helps you to channel your playful side. In neutral tones (save for the pop of green), the whole vibe is cheeky yet restrained.
Skinny Sneakers
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Skinny sneakers are one of the definitive shoe trends of 2026. They’re just as comfortable as a pair of chunky tennis shoes, only the streamlined shape gives mom jeans a modern refresh. Here, they’re paired with baggy, raw-hem denim and a classic leather jacket.
Chunky Oxfords
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For a comfortable, yet sharp flair, contrast your mom jeans with chunky Oxford shoes. Round-toed styles in brown or black tones will add a faint grunge flair to the denim, while thick ridged or lugged rubber soles ensure a balanced base. Take a cue from style star Eva Chen, who wore mom jeans to New York Fashion Week, and complete your look with a collared jacket—or two—for a sharp finish.
High-Top Sneakers
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For a burst of sporty color, lace into a pair of high-top sneakers. The hems of mom jeans, which often hit directly at the ankle or even calves, allow for the shoe to be showcased in full. A pair in a vibrant or tonal blue hue will pair smoothly with denim’s typically blue—or darker—shades, though truly anything goes.
Motorcycle Boots
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For a tough edge, try tucking your mom jeans into a pair of motorcycle boots. The thick-soled styles, often crafted with dark leather uppers, feature rounded or squared toes that bring a contrasting hardness to mom jeans’ light washes and high-waist fit. Pairs accented by harnesses or buckled straps will also provide a subtle wink to grunge and punk aesthetics.
Sky-High Platform Mules
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Platform mules will allow you to stand tall in your mom jeans—quite literally. Platform-soled pairs with thick heels create a dynamic, eye-catching silhouette that plays into the denim style’s taller shape, as well. Slip on a pair with a glossy or holographic finish for a slick, sultry boost.
Smooth Leather Boots
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Regardless of where you fall on the mom jeans spectrum, nobody can deny that the style will always pair well with a pair of classic leather boots. Pointed-toe sets with low or mid-height bases are the truest to the denim style’s ‘80s and ‘90s roots. Meanwhile, accents like taller shafts and thin heels carry this pairing into the 2020s.
Square-Toed Boots
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Square-toed boots complement mom jeans in a chic, yet faintly quirky manner. Narrowed, smooth leather and mid-height heels streamline the denim style, giving it an elongating appearance. Wider-soled pairs—which have been viewed in a polarizing light themselves—also balance out the silhouette with a geometric flair.
If you’re petite and want to wear square-toed shoes, consider ones with a tapered toe. This will help to give the illusion of length as opposed to truncating your figure.
Stark Pumps
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For a burst of ‘80s nostalgia, boost your mom jeans with lightly colored pumps. Pointed-toe styles in pure white or cream tones embrace the decade’s signature punch, yet remain daring and modern. Similarly to the versatility found in all-white sneakers, equally stark pumps will bring your denim a retro edge while highlighting its lighter tones.
Thong-Strapped Heels
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Equally as polarizing as mom jeans are thong heels—so why not combine the two for a fresh style? Like its open-toed cousins, the thong-strap sandal provides ventilation and a cutout effect when out and about. A square-toed style at any height will make a truly modern statement.
Peep-Toe Mules
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Slip-on mules with a puffy knot will bring a whimsical element to your mom jeans. A shoe’s open peep-toe—which can be bolstered through details like gathered satin uppers, block heels, or acrylic accents—creates a look that’s easygoing and sweet.
