Don't Hold the Cropped Jeans—Just Wear Them With This Shoe Trend If You're Scared of Looking Dated

Shop the effortlessly cool look.

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Dakota Johnson wearing a beige tie-waist button-down shirt with cropped blue jeans and full-foot ballet flats
(Image credit: x17)
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There’s been a bit of commotion about cropped jeans over the past few years, but the general consensus in 2026 is that they’re back. If you’re still skeptical about their return, the fact that Dakota Johnson just wore a pair might help validate my previous statement. As Johnson expertly displayed while out in Beverly Hills recently, the key is to go with a pair that's not too skinny (straight-leg like Johnson's or flared is ideal) and not too cropped. Just above the ankle will do. And if you really want to ensure that your outfit won't look dated in the least while wearing cropped jeans, I highly suggest pairing them with the shoe trend Johnson chose: full-foot ballet flats.

While pretty much all forms of ballet flats are popular at the moment, minimal styles with a high vamp continue to be the coolest option in 2026. They make whatever outfit they're included in look of-the-moment, and I instantly coin anyone who wears them as a fashion person. We all know this is true of Johnson, so it makes perfect sense she'd wear a pair of the viral Phoebe Philo Gathered Flats with her comeback cropped jeans. Scroll on to see the outfit for yourself and to shop the cool, definitely not dated combination.

Dakota Johnson's Cropped Jeans Outfit

Dakota Johnson wearing a beige tie-waist button-down shirt with cropped blue jeans and full-foot ballet flats

(Image credit: x17)

On Dakota Johnson: Phoebe Philo Gathered Flats ($1100)

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Allyson Payer
Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater arts. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.