Brown Shoes Khaki Pants: How To Master This Outfit Combo!

Wondering if brown shoes, khaki pants is a good outfit combination? Learn how to master this look with outfit inspiration and our top tips for what to wear with khaki pants and brown shoes.

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image of a mans legs wearing khaki pants and brown leather sneakers — @taft

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Creating Modern Outfits with Khakis

There’s a big misconception about the use of the word “khakis”. Unlike what most people believe, khakis aren’t actually pants. The pants actually come in a variety of styles like chinos or trousers, and it’s the color that is the range of shades of tan we call khaki.

As a good middle ground between jeans and dress pants, khakis are a must have for the men who want to elevate their wardrobe. Not only can it pair this neutral color tone with almost anything, it automatically creates a classy feel to any outfit.

image of a man in brown shoes, khaki pants, a black top, and shirt jacket in a white room — @mango

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Do you wear black or brown shoes with khaki pants?

You can wear both! Since the earthy color of khaki pants is considered a neutral tone, both black shoes and brown shoes pair well with them.

Khakis aren’t limited to those colors though, almost any shoe color can match. For darker shoes (like black shoes), a good match would be a darker tone of khaki to reduce the contrast.

image of a man walking in brown shoes, khaki pants, a blue shirt, dark blazer, and dark scarf — @outsons_com

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For a sharper contrast, it’s possible to pull off a dark shoe with light khaki tone in style! Pair it with a neutral colored Oxford shirt or t-shirt and a dark blazer to complete the look.

Khaki pants, brown shoes, what color shirt?

Khakis are such a versatile garment, they can be worn with almost any combination of clothing and look great. Neutral colored shirts should be a staple pairing for anyone who likes to wear khaki pants. Try any of the following color shirts with khaki pants:

black
gray
white
forest green
maroon
navy blue
light blue

Color combinations with other neutral tones can be both casual and formal. Khakis are also good with colored shirts, but we recommend you keep the colors muted, rather than bright and bold, like forest green, maroon, or light blue.

image of a good looking man sitting in a chair wearing brown shoes, khaki pants, and a forest green button up shirt — @mathieu.coppin

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What goes well with brown shoes and khaki pants?

Khakis have got to find their way into your closet because they’ll make you look good. If you are going to a formal event, the key is choosing a neutral colored Oxford shirt to go with the pants-shoes color combination. Dark or light grey is alway a good choice as a pairing, along with any shade of white.

Faded or light colors will also pair well if you’ve decided on wearing brown shoes with your khakis. A classic look is pairing brown boat shoes with khakis and a light blue Oxford shirt as the cherry on top. You’ll be able to rock it at a bar as well as a wedding!

image of a man wearing brown shoes, khaki pants, and a light blue button up oxford shirt, as he walks down the sidewalk — @looktastic

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For a more casual look, pair your khaki pants with a basic t-shirt in white or black, or a hoodie or sweatshirt. Throw on a pair of brown leather sneakers and you’ll be on your way.

What shoes do you wear with khaki pants?

Khaki chinos can be molded to fit any occasion if paired with the right shoes. Here are some examples of the best shoes to wear with khaki pants:

Leather or canvas sneakers. Invited to a house party by your friends? Leather or canvas sneakers and khaki pants can be your go-to.
Casual sandals. Laid-back dinner in Bali by tiki light? No problem, brown slides (think Birkenstocks) can be your choice of footwear.
Chelsea boots. Going on a date with a girl who loves the woods? Go for the rugged look by pairing your khaki pants with some nice brown boots.
Chukka boots. Running errands or going to a relaxed gathering? Throw on a pair of chukka boots with your khaki pants.
Dress shoes. Going to a wedding or a business meeting? Throw on some dress shoes to spruce up the khaki pants’ formal clout.
Western boots. Visiting your family in Texas? Throw on some cowboy boots with your khakis and pack your “Yee haw!”

Any event that you may go to, the constant can be khakis, while the shoes can decide if you’ll be casual or classy.

image of a man sitting outdoors wearing brown chukka boots, khaki pants, and a button up shirt — @nisolomens

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Do brown boots go with khaki pants?

Like a match made in heaven. Brown boots combined with the earthy tones of khaki pants are the epitome of the rugged yet still fashionable man. You can wear khaki chinos with brown boots outdoors and still look spectacular while traversing fallen logs and jumping over boulders.

For the men looking to achieve the live-in-a-log-cabin look that’s very in right now, get some brown boots, a neutral t-shirt, and a flannel shirt or jacket to complete the style.

Wearing khaki pants with brown boots will really bring out your inner mountain man. Maybe it will even cause your beard to grow out faster!

image of a man from the waist down wearing brown boots, khaki pants, and a plaid button up shirt — @blundstone

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Brown shoes khaki pants, what color socks?

Luckily, there are a plethora of sock colors that go with khaki pants! Depending on the style you’re going for, you can choose to go with no-show socks to pair with boat shoes, or formal socks of various colors:

Tan socks. Monochrome colors (matching socks and pants) aren’t necessary, it’s totally fine to have them be different shades.
Black socks. Classic and trustworthy, black socks work great with a pair of brown shoes and khaki pants.
Charcoal grey socks. Another reliable neutral charcoal grey socks go really well with the brown shoes, khaki pants combo.
Brown socks. You can’t go wrong with the brown shoes, brown socks, and brown khakis combination. Different shades of brown work well together, but if you want to really stand out you can pick tones that contrast each other for a classic look.
Forest or olive green socks. Earthy green toned socks can really sharpen up lighter toned khakis.
Funky patterned/colored socks. Wearing socks that are fun and different can help bring a playfulness to the style. For example, having a pattern of pineapples in view while sitting down can be a subtle flex on everyone who went with the traditional pant-sock combination.

image of a black man standing on a bed wearing brown shoes, khaki pants, and a brown cardigan — @thefryecompany

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The Bottom Line

In summary, brown shoes and khaki pants are a great combination when done right. Because khakis are a versatile addition to your wardrobe, they can work for so many outfits, as can brown shoes of all styles.

But be aware, the clothes you match with your khakis may not be the best fit with each other. For example, a green shirt may not look the greatest with red socks.

Focus on syncing harmonious colors together to maximize your outfit’s style, and consider sticking with neutrals to keep the look classic and timeless. You don’t want to look back on photos 10 years down the road and think “why did I wear that?!”. Black, white, grey, brown, and tan never go out of style and always look great together.