What Color Shoes to Wear With a Black Dress? 9 Options

Black, nude, gold or silver, red, leopard, white trainers, tan, burgundy and a jewel tone such as emerald all work as shoe colours with a black dress. The dress will not clash with any of them, so the real choice is how much attention you want at your feet and how formal the event is.

A matching or skin-tone shoe keeps the outfit as one block and sends the eye up to your face. A coloured or printed shoe pulls the eye down and becomes the detail people remember.

The forecast usually narrows the shoe choice before colour comes into it. With the black dress pinned, the stylist in our Wdrobe app picks a pair you own for tomorrow's weather.

Why finish matters more than shade with black

Black has no undertone to fight with, so the risk is two blacks that nearly match. A cotton dress that has faded in the wash, worn with brand-new leather boots, looks like a near miss, because washed black drifts towards grey or brown. Patent with a matte jersey dress, or suede boots with a satin slip, gives you two blacks that differ on purpose. A navy dress is a different case, covered in which shoes go with a navy dress.

9 shoe colours that work with a black dress

1. Black

The quietest choice, for occasions that ask you not to stand out, such as a funeral or a formal dinner. A sleek pointed pump keeps the dress dressy; a lug-sole boot makes the same dress casual.

Outfit formula: black sheath dress + black pointed pumps + black structured handbag + pearl stud earrings.

2. Nude, matched to your skin

Nude means a shade close to your own skin, from pale beige to deep brown, so a shop's idea of nude may not be yours. Matched well, the shoe adds no extra colour below the hem. It is the daytime choice when black feels heavy.

Outfit formula: black wrap midi dress + skin-tone block-heel sandals + camel trench coat + tan leather tote.

3. Gold or silver

Metallics are the evening answer when black shoes look too plain. Match the metal to your jewellery, so the outfit carries one metal. Thin metallic straps look lighter than a full metallic court shoe.

Outfit formula: black bias-cut slip dress + gold strappy heeled sandals + gold hoop earrings + black satin clutch.

Choosing shoes for a black dress usually ends with a pile of boxes on the bedroom floor. Trying four pairs one by one is slow, and memory is poor at telling burgundy from oxblood. See all your shoes next to the dress at once.

4. Red

A red shoe gives a black dress one strong accent. Match the red to your own colouring rather than the dress: tomato reds with warm colouring, blue-reds and raspberry with cool. A second small touch of red, such as a scarf print, makes the shoe look chosen.

Outfit formula: black knit midi dress + red slingback kitten heels + black cardigan + red-and-black silk scarf.

5. Leopard

Leopard acts almost like a neutral beside black, because its dark spots already repeat the dress. A leopard flat turns a plain black dress into a considered office outfit. Keep it to one printed piece.

Outfit formula: black shirt dress + leopard ballet flats + camel wool coat + black leather tote.

6. White trainers

White trainers make a black dress fully casual, and they suit jersey, cotton and knit far better than satin or crepe. Keep the sneakers clean and low; a chunky sole balances a short, swingy dress better than a long narrow one.

Outfit formula: black T-shirt dress + white leather trainers + light-wash denim jacket + canvas crossbody bag.

7. Tan or cognac

Warm brown leather softens black and makes it read as daytime. Tan sandals are the summer version; cognac, a deeper reddish brown, is the autumn one in boots. Our page on wearing brown with black covers the browns that clash.

Outfit formula: black linen midi dress + tan leather flat sandals + woven straw bag + gold bangle.

8. Burgundy

Burgundy is the colour to reach for when red feels too loud for work. Beside black it reads dark and quiet, and in suede it sits well with opaque tights through winter.

Outfit formula: black long-sleeve jersey dress + burgundy suede ankle boots + black opaque tights + grey wool coat.

9. A jewel tone

Emerald, cobalt or sapphire shoes are the cooler alternative to red for evening, best in satin or velvet.

Outfit formula: black velvet cocktail dress + emerald satin court shoes + black beaded clutch + silver drop earrings.

Matching the shoe to the occasion

Work. Leopard or black flats, burgundy loafers, or a low block heel you can walk in between meetings. Keep metallics for after six.

Wedding guest. All black can look severe at a daytime wedding, so nude, tan, metallic or a jewel tone lightens it. Block heels cope with a lawn better than stilettos. For season-led ideas, see what to wear to a summer wedding.

One black dress can cover three invitations in a month if the shoes change. By the third event it is easy to forget which pair the same friends have already seen. Pencil each event in with the shoes you plan to wear.

Evening. Metallic, red, a jewel tone or black patent: strappy sandals with bare legs, closed courts once sheer tights go on.

Casual. White trainers, tan sandals or flat ankle boots. A chunky cream jumper over a black slip dress with white trainers is a full weekend outfit, and the sweater takes the shine off the satin.

Tights and bags

Tights. Sheer black tights carry one dark colour from hem to toe with black shoes, and make red or jewel-tone shoes stand out. Opaque tights look best in the shoe's colour. Skin-tone tights belong with nude shoes; under black pumps they leave a pale band above the shoe.

Bags. Either repeat the shoe colour exactly or keep the bag black, because a bag in a third colour gives the outfit two competing accents. With tan shoes, any brown of the same warmth will do.

Frequently asked questions

What colour shoes with a black dress for a wedding?

Nude, metallic or a jewel tone usually suits a wedding better than plain black. Gold or silver sandals work for an evening reception, and nude or tan block heels for a garden ceremony. Black is fine for a formal evening wedding, especially with a coloured bag.

Can you wear brown shoes with a black dress?

Yes. Tan and cognac work best because they are clearly lighter and warmer than the dress. Very dark brown is harder, since it can look like a black that did not quite match.

Do nude heels go with a black dress?

Yes, as long as the shade is close to your own skin. A nude far from your skin reads as a beige shoe instead, which still works but looks different.

If you are styling the dress itself, what to wear with a black dress has full outfits, while outfit colour combinations shows how one accent colour can hold a plain outfit together.

Nine shoe colours is a long list, and nobody needs all of them. Before buying another pair, it is worth knowing which missing colour would also work with your other dresses and trousers. Wdrobe shows your shoes next to everything else you own, so that gap is easy to see before you shop. Find the pair your black dress is still missing.