What Are The Best Color Shoes To Wear With A Blue Dress?

From pale icy shades to cerulean and navy, this fall is all about blue. It's one of those odd colors that, depending on its chroma and saturation, can offer a bright pop of contrast or make for an elegant neutral. In fact, when it comes to wearing blue, it can be worn so many ways that the options themselves can become paralyzing. So when it comes to putting your best foot forward, perhaps in 2025 shoe trends, what footwear should you pair with a blue dress?

In an exclusive interview with Women, fashion stylist and lifestyle expert Joseph Katz weighed in on the best shoes to complement a blue dress. "Sometimes the instinct is to match the dress exactly to the shoes — and while that can work, it's often the 'safe' choice," he says. "In a conservative setting, tone-on-tone can be fine, but if you want to elevate your look, explore complementary hues."

Avoiding perfectly matched accessories can be a great way to modernize an ensemble — or crank up the personality. But, if you aren't going with blue, how do you know what color to pick? Look to the color wheel for inspo, advises Katz, or riff on familiar neutrals. "Cool tones work beautifully with blue," he explains. That means anything with blue, green, or violet undertones is a safe bet. A surprising color can be a great way to lean into wrong shoe theory and elevate your outfits.

If wading into color theory feels too daunting, you can't go wrong with a neutral colored shoe. Technically, that means white, beige and gray colors — but can also include metallics or subtle hues like navy. Just don't make the mistake of thinking that a neutral color is a boring choice. "Think a rich tan or light brown for contrast, classic black with deeper blues, or metallic silver and gold for a chic, modern edge," Joseph Katz explains exclusively to Women. He recommends these beige sandals from Studio Amelia for "a pop of gold in the heel to spice up your blue dress look."

"A soft cream is also a timeless choice that highlights the lighter undertones of blue," Katz adds, recommending the Catrina Slingback Pumps from Aeyde. "For a richer dark blue, I love to add a great rich brown that contrasts the blue but still stays in the darker color family," says Katz, a combination that pairs two of fall's hottest colors. Katz suggests this heeled sandal from Schutz, with a pop of gold hardware, for an elegant style that sidesteps outdated sandal trends you don't want to be caught wearing.