Exactly Which Color Shoes to Wear With Every Navy Dress Style

Of all the colors in our closet, navy is probably one of the toughest to style. The dark blue shade doesn't easily lend itself to being paired with many other colors in terms of the shoes, bags, and accessories we may have lying around. For one, wearing black and navy has long been deemed a style faux pas because of how close the two colors are to one another. While we don't agree that they should never be worn together, we'll be the first to admit that it's a tricky color combo. An even more common style situation to run into is wearing a navy dress and styling it accordingly.

We wanted to take the guessing out of it, so today, we're showing you exactly which color shoes to wear with each navy dress, from a casual frock to a floor-length formal gown. There's no denying that Net-a-Porter and Shopbop are two of our favorite online shopping destinations. We scroll through the sites to get general outfit inspiration even when we're not necessarily shopping. We happen to be fans of how they always style their items in a way that makes us want the entire look.

With that in mind, we took to the sites as well as some of our other favorite retailers and brands to find inspiration for how we'll be styling our navy dresses from now on. Ahead, see the dress-and-shoe combinations that just always work.

1. Black Ballet Flats

When styling a navy denim dress, it's best to lean into the overall preppy feel of the piece by pairing it with black ballet flats. 

2. White Strappy Sandals 

For the signature navy shirt dress, you'll want to keep the styling minimal so that it can be worn in work settings. Ideally, in the summer and spring, you'd pair it with strappy white sandals as they won't be too distracting. 

4. Knee-High White Boots

During colder months, if you can't possibly get away with wearing white sandals, try swapping them out for knee-high boots in a similar shade of white, beige, or even nude. 

5. Black Loafers

Another closed-toe shoe option that you can always count on to look good with a navy dress is chunky black loafers. The classic silhouette can pair well with just about anything, including sweater dresses, button-downs, and so on.

6. Flat Tan Sandals

If you're in the midst of sandal season, it can be hard to choose what color to pair with a navy dress. When in doubt, always opting for a tan flat sandal is a safe bet as the classic hue compliments the color nicely while also being ultra-comfortable. 

7. Knee-High Black Boots

Some fashion rulesr are meant to be broken—e.g., the notion that you "shouldn't" pair navy and black together. Consider the outfit above proof that styling a navy sweatshirt dress with black knee-high boots is a pairing worth trying. 

8. White Sneakers

No matter what type of navy dress you have, it will always look good with a pair of white kicks. 

9. Black Ankle Boots

Another comfortable type of footwear that goes well with navy dress? Black ankle boots. No matter if you opt for combat boots or kitten heel booties this color and boot cut will work every single time. 

10. Black Pumps

For more formal occasions, you'll want to opt for footwear than won't distract from your dress—enter, black pumps into the chat. These shoes will make you little navy slip dress all the more chic. 

11. Flat Black Sandals

Lastly, you can't go wrong with slipping into a pair of flat black sandals with those breezy navy dresses. Not only do these colors pair well together effortlessly, but it's a look you'll want to wear time and time again. 

This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated by Jasmine Fox-Suliaman.