There are some parts of human history that fashion goes back to time and time again and can’t seem to get enough of. One of those times is the 70s, which is why we’re going to share some of the best shoes to wear with flare jeans.
In fashion’s eye right now is the 70s, and with that comes a resurgence of all the decade’s trends. If you’ve been listening to a lot of music, you probably noticed some disco-inspired sounds coupled with disco-ready sequined dresses and halters.
While you might not be feeling inspired by Saturday Night Fever every day of the week, you can add a nod to the 70s in your casual wardrobe with flare jeans. They can actually be quite flattering on a number of body types, that is until you look down and realize that your feet have disappeared!
Choosing the right shoes can be a challenge, especially if this is your first time trying out such a dramatic cut. So you can wear all your seventies nostalgia with confidence, we’re going to go through some foolproof footwear combinations that you can wear with flare jeans.
Shoes to Wear with Flare Jeans
Platform Heels/Sandals
The easiest shoes to pair with flare jeans are the same ones your mother did! Along with the jeans, these heels have become a sensation of their own, and the two still work perfectly decades later.
If you really want to go full 1970s, pair your sandals and jeans with a huge floppy hat!
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Platform Sneakers
Heels are a classic, but if you want the height with a little more comfort, you can go with a platform sneaker. They’re a bit more modern in shape, but you can get them in a corduroy or velvet texture if you want to keep things vintage inspired.
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RELATED: 13 Best Platform Sneakers for Style + Comfort
Boots
If you look at old photos from the 70s, you’ll probably notice that if someone isn’t wearing platforms, they’re usually wearing boots. Because flare jeans are essentially a looser style of bootcut, it’s natural to pair boots and flares together.
You can go with all sorts of different styles here, but one of our favorite pairings is animal prints. In addition to reviving a lot of styles from the 1930s, the 1970s also took inspiration from the war years, which turned to leopard, zebra, and giraffe prints for safari-inspired glamour that you can still channel today.
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Can I Wear Other Shoes With Flare Jeans?
The styles we’ve shown you here are fairly unique and can especially read as anachronistic, so you might not have a ton of these in your closet. Does that mean you have to go shopping for new shoes if you want to get in on this trend? Nope!
Now that we’ve gone over some of the styles we think are most complimentary, we’re going to let you in on why we picked these styles and what you can do if you want to wear something different.
Why Such Tall Shoes?
Depending on how big those flares are on their own, it might seem a little ridiculous to team them up with some equally exaggerated shoes. So why would you go with sky-high platforms or boots over something else? Really, it’s a battle of proportions.
Looking at a pair of full-length flares, you’ll see the hem is not only long but also wide, and the volume starts increasing at the knee or just below it. This sort of width can be hard to balance out if you don’t have a lot of height, and that horizontal line right below your knee can exacerbate the issue by cutting off your legs. The result can be some pretty awkward proportions if you’re on the shorter side.
Platform shoes obviously have quite a bit of height to them which can help balance out that hemline and keep your legs from looking too short. Thinking back, platforms were going to be big in a decade that had a love of 1930s aesthetics but the height working so well with bell bottoms was just the cherry on top!
What About Shorter Shoes?
Just because you want to wear a voluminous style doesn’t mean you have to give up comfort in the process. As with standard bell-bottoms, what really matters is proportions.
Taller shoes tend to work better the wider your jeans are, but you can easily make the style work with flats or standard sneakers and sandals by going with a less dramatic flare that’s shorter and narrower. If your shoe is small, this isn’t the time for a pair of jeans that practically drag on the ground.
When you’re shopping for a pair of jeans like this, we recommend doing some of the same things you would if you were shopping for a long dress. Namely, take a few pairs of your favorite shoes with you and try them on with your jeans to make sure you’re getting a pair that will show off your favorite footwear in the best light.
Buying something so exaggerated can be a little intimidating, but it’s much easier once you figure out which lengths work the best on you with the shoes you love the most.
Bottom Line
The 70s are back and they seem here to stay, but you don’t have to give up your favorite shoes or be Farrah Fawcett to pull off these jeans.
This list of shoes to wear with flare jeans are some of the easiest ones to pair with the most exaggerated cuts, but you should be able to use the majority of the shoes in your closet as long as you know how to play the proportion game.
In addition to all the styles we’ve shown you here, we really recommend going vintage. There’s nothing quite as cool as pairing flare jeans with a pair of authentic Biba shoes!
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