You Probably Won't Catch Fashion Girls Wearing These Shoes With Leggings

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(Image credit: AKM-GSI)

With the popularity of leggings, we're all inevitably going to want to get a little creative with how we wear them. In many cases, that means thinking outside the box when it comes to footwear. We've already discussed what to avoid wearing with leggings in general, but what about the all-important subject of shoes?

Given leggings' form-fitting silhouette and casual nature, determining which shoes will best complement them can be a bit perplexing—which is where we come in. As editors, we've been noticing fashion girls in fewer and fewer of a handful of shoe styles, at least paired with their leggings. So naturally, we've been taking notes on what they've been wearing instead. The legging trend is here to stay for the foreseeable future, so we might as well make the most of it and pair them with shoes that will keep things as stylish as possible, right?

With that, keep scrolling to find out which seven shoe styles fashion girls have pretty much stopped wearing with leggings, and shop the coolest shoe trends to wear with them instead.

X Stilettos & Platforms

Wear Instead: Mules

Towering heels and platforms are best suited for something a little less formfitting. Instead, sliding on a pair of mules will keep your outfit looking effortless and cool.

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Pictured: Beyond Yoga Take Me Higher Long Leggings ($61); Zara shoes

Shop Mules:

X Flip-Flops

Wear Instead: Slide Sandals

Flip-flops have a tendency to make leggings look a bit too casual. Rubber slides are an easy swap that will give your look an of-the-moment feel.

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Pictured: Beyond Yoga Take Me Higher Long Leggings ($61); Gucci sandals

Shop Slide Sandals:

X Wedge Sneakers 

Wear Instead: Athletic and Classic Sneakers

The wedge-sneaker trend has come and gone, but athletic and classic sneaker styles are a no-brainer with leggings, and the fashion possibilities are endless.

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Pictured: Beyond Yoga Take Me Higher Long Leggings ($61); Nike sneakers

Shop Athletic Sneakers:

X Ankle-Strap Shoes 

Wear Instead: Ballet Flats

While it may seem a bit out-there, we love the dancer-inspired look of a pair of ballet flats with a pair of leggings. On the other hand, shoes with buckled leather straps at the ankle aren't the best match for leggings.

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Pictured: Beyond Yoga Take Me Higher Long Leggings ($61); Miu Miu flats

Shop Ballet Flats:

X Sock Boots 

Wear Instead: Combat Boots

Sock boots are a current fashion-girl favorite, but unless you want your shoes to look like an extension of your leggings, it's best to go with something that provides more of a contrast, like on-trend combat boots.

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Pictured: Beyond Yoga Take Me Higher Long Leggings ($61); Jenni Kayne boots

Shop Combat Boots:

X Brogues

Wear Instead: Loafers

When it comes to classic flats styles, loafers are still going strong. Loafers and leggings are one of our favorite combinations at the moment. 

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Pictured: Beyond YogaBeyond Yoga Take Me Higher Long Leggings ($61); G.H. Bass & Co. shoes

Shop Loafers:

Next, the 4 fall trends this chic Parisian mom borrows from her daughters. 

This post was originally published at an earlier date and has been updated.

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. 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.