I've Done the Research—These Are the 6 Best Trainer Styles to Wear With Jeans
Trainers are to jeans as Nutella is to pancakes, as fries are to a burger. They just work together. The only major flaw in this belief, however, is that every pair of trainers works with every pair of jeans. I've learned that there are certain trainers that work best with certain denim silhouettes. I own a fair amount of both, so you can rest assured that I've spent a lot of time thinking about this and have narrowed down the ideal combos.
When deciding which trainers to wear with jeans, the first thing I think about is the hem of the trousers. Are they cropped or tapered? This detail immediately has an impact on which trainers I'll choose. Case in point: If you're wearing a longer leg style, you won't want to wear a chunky pair of trainers because they might disrupt the silhouette of the jeans. Secondly, I pay attention to the width of the trouser legs. Wide-leg jeans, in my opinion, don't work well with chunky trainers. The nuances of getting this combination right might feel overwhelming, but I've illustrated how to do so for you below. Keep scrolling to see my insight on which six trainer styles are best to wear with jeans.
1. HIGH-TOPS
Style Notes: High-top trainers work perfectly with crop styles as they fill any gap between your hemline and what would be the top of a normal trainer height, creating a long leg silhouette.
Shop the Look:
If you're looking to invest in your denim this season, look no further than this Toteme pair.
White trainers will go with every wash of denim.
2. WHITE PLIMSOLES
Style Notes: This is what I like to think of as the Princess Catherine way to wear jeans and trainers. The cropped ankle and slightly tapered style always works very well with white plimsolls. Socks optional.
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Blue jeans, a white tee, and trainers = a failsafe outfit.
3. RUNNING TRAINERS
Style Notes: Perhaps the most divisive of combos is a pair of high-waisted jeans with sporty trainers. It's a little hypebeast for some, but I'm personally a big fan. As this style of trouser typically falls on the ankle and it's nice to make a show of your trend-led trainers.
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New Balance styles will always be a fashion person's favourite.
4. BRIGHT COLOURS
Style Notes: Let's focus on colour for a second; most jeans I own fall into the blue category, though I am partial to black and ecru as well. This triad of timeless hues loans itself perfectly to styling with bright trainers without any risk of clashing.
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White jeans and bright trainers are a match made in heaven.
These look so good with any colour of jeans.
5. CHUNKY TRAINERS
Style Notes: Chunky trainers continue to dominate the sneaker scene, with New Balance 550s still proving to be popular. Wear with straight-leg jeans for a 2024 take on the look.
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6. BLACK TONES
Style Notes: I'm noticing more and more black trainers come through, and while I previously wasn't a fan, I'm coming round to how chic they can look, especially when worn with mid-blue denim.
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This piece was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
Maxine Eggenberger is Who What Wear UK’s deputy editor and has over thirteen years of experience in fashion journalism. She been creating engaging and elevated style content specifically for Who What Wear UK since 2018, covering runway reports, emerging trends, long-form features, self-styled shopping stories and columns, including her edit of the best new-in buys. She ensures the highest editorial standards are met across the site, leads the editorial team in their SEO strategy and keyword planning, works closely with the beauty team on content initiatives, represents the brand at industry events, and regularly contributes to social media, including her own Who What Wear UK TikTok franchise, French Style Fridays. Previously, Maxine appeared on ITV's This Morning in her own fashion segment and has interviewed countless celebrities—everyone from Victoria Beckham to Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o.
Prior to Who What Wear UK, Maxine’s career began when, after completing her first-ever internship at Look magazine, she was offered a position on the brand's fashion desk. She accepted, leaving university a year early in the process. Her passion and natural talent for writing and styling meant she swiftly rose through the ranks to become the title's fashion news and commercial content editor, with a stint as InStyle.co.uk’s fashion and beauty writer along the way. She later served as Look’s acting Editor in Chief, overseeing both print and digital, before embarking on a successful freelance career, working with Grazia, The Pool, and Marie Claire amongst others.
Maxine is based remotely from her countryside home near Edinburgh where she spends her downtime renovating her house, walking her dogs, hosting friends and trying to master the art of making Old Fashioned cocktails.
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