5 Shoes to Wear With Grey Jeans, Prefect for Winter 2025

In case you missed it, grey jeans are making a comeback. Infiltrating a market where black and blue shades reign supreme, the colour beloved by Kate Moss during her 2010 It-girl era has once again been picked up, this time by Gen Z.

These aren’t the “indie sleaze” skinny greys of yesteryear, though; for autumn/winter 2025, grey jeans are a true elevated neutral. Offering the same versatility, timelessness and chic elevation as its more traditional cousins, in my opinion, grey denim has a slightly cooler essence.

As a fashion editor who loves jeans, owning a pair of greys has always felt like a no-brainer. Yet at times, I’ve been stumped by the same question: What shoes do I wear with grey jeans? When I first wore them, I was hoping to channel my inner off-duty model in a Zoë Kravitz or Laura Harrier kind of way, yet, looking in the mirror, I felt somewhat defeated as my jeans-and-shoe combination leaned bland rather than cool, laid-back polish.

So, I did what I tend to do when faced with a fashion conundrum: I looked at the chicest dressers on my social feeds and realised that much like traditional shades, the tone of grey jeans truly matters. Deep greys look intrinsically more polished and can be dressed down with trainers or biker boots, whilst lighter washes have a more playful edge, which can be easily elevated with quilted ballet flats.

After doing a little research for inspiration, it turns out that finding the right footwear to style with your grey jeans isn’t as tricky as I had originally thought. And of course, I’m willing to share. Keep reading to find the five shoes I think are best to wear with your grey denim.

Style Notes: If looking chic whilst remaining comfortable is the goal, you can’t go wrong with a loafer. Whether flat-soled or chunky, this preppy shoe lends a polished edge to almost any style of bottoms, and seems to always work well with grey jeans. Keep your outfit tonal with a black pair if you want to achieve a look that will transition well with you throughout the day.

Style Notes: Now, if you’re a Who What Wear UK reader, you know we love a heeled boot. Versatile and timeless, the easiest way to take this slightly more casual-leaning denim shade and make it a little more classic is by pairing it with a boot with some height, be it a kitten heel, block heel or even a stiletto for dressier occasions. Grey works with pretty much every other colour, so go as loud as possible with the boots for maximum effect.