Sneakers for a Pear shape - YouLookFab Forum

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Sneakers for a Pear shape

Audrey Fisher

Member

Hi, this is my first post here.

I am a pear shape and am looking for advice about sneakers. I have scoured the internet to find information about the right sneakers for a pear and there is nothing. I've found great information on heals and boots, but nothing for sneakers that are a requirement in my life.

I am a tallish pear shape. I recently bought some straight-legged jeans that stop above the ankle (higher than I like because of my height) and I would like to find some sneakers that don't make me feel that I look like I'm walking on flat popsicle sticks.

What kind of cute sneakers should a pear wear with shorts or cropped jeans?

Thanks,
A

Body Type

22 replies

Latest reply was from Angie

Sal

Veteran

Hi Audrey

For me (I have some pear tendencies) I like to wear sneakers and show a bit of ankle. Especially when I wear looser pants.

I have a range of sneakers and sort of hybrid type sneakers. I like them all. If I wear full length jeans or pants like the ones in the find I like a platform sneaker. I would not wear these with the Allbirds.

I think shorts you can wear a variety. I find lower contrast easier (eg I wouldn't wear my black ones with shorts) but I would wear all of the others. And I wear low or no show socks.

Welcome to the forum!

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Audrey Fisher

Member

Thanks for such a quick reply,
I've been looking at these. They are a fresh take on the classic sneaker.

https://www.zappos.com/p/cobb-.....#038;ref=p

I'm trying to add a photo instead of a link but I do not know how on this platform.

Audrey Fisher

Member

Sal,
When you say lower contrast for shorts, what do you mean? Do you mean the shoes would not have contrasting colors on them?

unfrumped

Veteran

Hi!
I don’t have specific sneakers to recommend, but like Sal, I look for lower contrast with my skin, for shorts. I have pale legs so I like gray, tan, off- white ( of course white is classic), or other light colors. Ok to have contrasting soles or trims or accent.

I read something about shoe- pant proportions that I am trying. With slimmer pants , I’m trying a chunkier shoe for balance, to look less ice- cream cone. Not super-chunky for me since my feet are big relatively for my top half.
Then will try a lower profile sneaker for wider- leg pants.
This is a bit like wearing pointy toes with wide leg pants, except hah, not very pointy!
But, proportions are so different that I sometimes try several pairs and see what works.

rachylou

Veteran

I think unfrumped makes a good point about shoes with some visual heft to the sole. Sal’s platform sneakers have just that, I note.

Audrey Fisher

Member

Thanks for the proportions info umfrumoed. So a chunky shoe with thinner pants and lower profile shoe for wider legged pants. So with that in mind, my lower profile tennis shoes should work with my slightly cropped wide-legged jeans, and a lighter-colored classic-style sneaker (more chunky than a tennis shoe) could look good with my black cropped straight-legged jeans?
Style has always been a mystery to me. I'm trying to work it out now in my 40s. lol

Sal

Veteran

Sorry - yes contrast with my leg. If I had darker skin a darker shoe would be lower contrast.

I think there is a balance to an outfit and there are lots of little tweaks you can do
- shoes that match your hair (I have mid blonde hair so lighter shoes are easier but for others black works) - this is called bookending
- having the colour elsewhere in your outfit - so if I wear white shoes I like a bit of white up top (currently wearing a white watch strap so that's easy)

unfrumped

Veteran

Audrey, yes, that is what I am trying.
I don’t see it as a “ rule”, but wondering if that turns out to be some of the proportions I like, then I might make faster choices getting ready , and would give me some guidance narrowing down new purchases, thinking about these combinations, why certain styles might work better.

Audrey Fisher

Member

I will give it a try. I am really surprised at how little information is out there for styling a pear shape with sneakers/tennis shoes, especially considering the comfort-driven fashion that has been popular recently.
I wish I had more time to spend at a store trying things on.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Hi Audrey, welcome! I was actually surprised at your post initially as I thought how could it make a difference whether you are pear, apple, hourglass etc with regard to which sneakers you wear, it is such a long way away from those parts of your body, to your feet! But I think I get now what you mean. I don’t wear many sneakers myself but when I do I mostly don’t like a white sole, so that rules out most of them for me. I wonder if that is something to do with being short, for me.
Just a point on photos, you need to wait a few days and reply to some other people’s posts to become an Active Member rather than just a Member, then you will be able to post them. Unfortunately we get quite a few Members join up just to spam the Forum so the genuine people need to wait just a few days to weed the spammers out.

Sal

Veteran

I think there is an increasing focus on wearing what you like, and less focus on figure flattery now. When I first started reading about style and how to dress (Trinny and Susannah in about 2002/3) there was lots about what NOT to wear. I think there it is now more what you can wear, and less prescriptive rules.

I think overall a bit of structure in the right places can help most of us. For me, a good fit at the shoulder, the right neckline, and not too many horizontal lines are the things I look for.

Audrey Fisher

Member

Hi Jenni,
Thank you for your reply and the info about the photos.
Being a pear shape, balance is important and shoes can enhance wide hips, sneakers included. That's why I was asking. I have very wide hips in comparison to the width of my foot stance and my upper body. Think of a diamond shape. Narrow and the bottom and top and wide in the middle.

Audrey Fisher

Member

I agree Sal. As I get older I am looking for clothes that fit my body rather than making my body fit the clothes. My body is changing I feel more confident in comfortable clothes that are also a good fit visually for my body type. I have figured out good fits for most of my clothes. Shoes have been a challenge. I'm going for more comfort, which is why I'm going with a sneaker.

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

I'm an hourglass-pear shape, & have found relative success with the following two styles:
#1) Seasalt Cornwall's Cornish Lane Trainers
#2) Fitflop's Tassel Superskate d'Orsay Loafer Shoes

I suspect it's because the rubber soles add a little visual 'weight' to the look without being too high contrast, & they're balanced by the slightly rounded toebox (sometimes referred to as 'almond' toes). A pointed toe trainer might work well too. but have yet to find one that works well for my wide feet.

I'll wear both of these shoes narrower legged bottoms, or with bare ankles if worn with wide legs - I generally prefer my pointed toe D'orsay flats for wide legs though.

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Audrey Fisher

Member

Hi Zaeobi,
Wow! I didn't even know that pointed trainers were a thing! I'll check it out. Thanks for sharing your shoes. I really like the white slip-ons. They look comfortable too.

kkards

Veteran

I would say follow whatever other footwear “rules” you find work for you.

Nowadays you can find sneakers in all shapes, sizes and colors.

cat2

Veteran

Low contrast is good, so leggish colors with bare legs and blue with jeans, etc.

Audrey Fisher

Member

Thank you cat2. That helps. The tan sneakers I just purchased should be perfect then for shorter pants.

Jules

Veteran

I understand what you are talking about. I actually just purged shoes for this reason. I have always preferred somewhat chunky shoes to balance out my proportions. I also don't wear heels and prefer sneakers generally. Lower contrast is good but I find I am unhappy in nude-for-me shoes that fade away visually and don't "ground" me to help balance out my similar proportions. So if a sneaker is in my general skin tone range, a thick white sole helps. The shoes I just got rid of were loafers in light beige with a gold sparkle and thin heel. They might have been fine with a chunky brown heel but as is they receded so much visually all I could see was disproportion and after trying to make them work every spring for several years I finally purged them. I wouldn't have guessed the beige/gold colour would be so "nude" on me but it was. Also come to think of it they were a low contrast shoe generally (the whole surface being one material without any contrasting details within the shoe). Sneakers at least usually have the contrast of white laces. So depending on your skin a sneaker with tonal laces and sole might not be as good a choice as something with white laces and sole.

I think "bookending" your hair colour is also worth a try. Angie has posted a lot about this if you do a search - the concept is to match hair colour to shoes to tie your whole look together - although as someone with dullish medium brown hair I do think the effect is more pronounced with blonde or dark hair (I do prefer brown or burgundy footwear to black generally, but I don't read it as bookending on me. The taupe-y colours that might bookend my hair are pretty rare).

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Welcome to the forum!

One reason people may not have written too much about body shape types and footwear is that many people are moving away from the idea that we need to aim to "correct" our shape towards an ideal hourglass. But I understand what you mean about outfit proportion and the way that footwear can affect that. And with Covid, it has been difficult to go into stores and do big try-on sessions, so as styles have shifted some of us are left feeling adrift. Taking photos here and posting can really help (once you are an active member).

I really like what Jules said about bookending. Sometimes what we're really looking to do when we think we're aiming to correct "flaws" is to make our outfits cohesive -- when everything works together, attention goes where we want instead of where we don't want.

My hair is silver so I tend to "bookend" with silver or grey sneakers. I also like white sneakers for the way they add a pop of light/ bright and bring attention down to my feet. And I have a pair of red ones with white soles that work in a similar way.

Another trick is to go with sneakers in the colours of your key neutrals.

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Anonymous

These days my bad back, legs & feet dictate what shoes I wear. I have to wear chunkier shoes, so I have switched to wider legged pants & maxi dresses. Such is life.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Another welcome from me, Audrey!

Lots of great guidance, and I echo what Suz said.

Personally:

I like to keep my own sneakers sleek, pretty, and light (or bright). I am blonde with pale skin, so light sneakers bookend my hair and are low contrast against my skin tone. They also work better with the colours I wear, (generally sour brights, turquoise, navy, white, gold, shocking pink, denim blue, light blue, blush pink).

I also like to match my bags to sneakers. Not all the time, but it DOES help pull the look together.

Here are my Spring and Summer sneakers with bags to match. They may not look like they match in the stock photos, but they match well in person.

I am a huge ECCO, leather Converse, New Balance, and Naturalizer sneaker fan. Adidas, Veja, All Birds, and Nike typically do not fit and feel good on my feet - but I am in the minority.

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