I hope this isn't too off track - I'm trying to get my husband into a slightly more modern look, and I'm confused about men's jeans.

He will not go to the mall and try things on, so I am going to have to buy several different pairs of jeans and lock him in the bedroom and force him to put them on. LOL.

He is 52, size 40x30. (Not that tall and slightly overweight.) He works in a very casual/creative industry and wears jeans and sneakers every day. He won't budge on the sneakers - he has an unusually high instep and most shoes are very painful for him. There are only two brands of sneakers he can wear (Brooks and New Balance), and since it's a real matter of pain, I think I have to give him space on that one. But the sneaks do tend to make everything look more sporty.

He currently wears GAP Easy fit, which he says are the most comfortable. They used to make a nice black denim, but now they seem to have discontinued that one. I'm very confused about the different cuts for men. They all look pretty much the same to me! I'd like to get him a pair in a nice dark rinse, something a little more modern looking than the mid-color blue he wears, but without any whiskering or fading. I know he won't wear or look good in a very slim leg jean or a very young trendy jean. But there must be something out there that would up his game slightly!

Should he be in a straight leg? A boot cut? Would that look okay with sneakers? I'm thinking a tapered leg would not be good. Do I follow similar rules for women, in terms of shape when thinking about the leg?

He looks very nice when he wears jeans with a nice oxford shirt, so I think if I can move him into a darker rinse, it won't be that much of a shock to him and he'll just look a tiny bit more modern. Thanks in advance!