How To Wear A Dress With Sneakers in Your 70s

One of the most popular searches on this site—and how many of you are first introduced to The Daileigh—is by searching, “How to wear dresses with sneakers over 50.” Year after year, this topic continues to lead across all categories.

And to be honest, I completely see why.

This look combines the ease of a one-piece outfit—no having to coordinate a top and bottom—with the comfort of a stylish pair of sneakers. It’s a win/win.

It’s also an outfit combination that works in every season, which is why women are always looking for ways to pull off this look.

And honestly, it’s much easier than you think.

You don’t need a specific style of dress to make this combination work. You can start with just about any dress you already own and build your outfit from there.

The one thing you do want to pay attention to is your choice of sneakers.

Because not every style of sneaker is going to look chic when paired with a dress.

So, let’s first break down the styles of sneakers that easily work with dresses.

What Style of Sneakers Work With Dresses?

Let’s make the first step easy and rule out an entire category: athletic sneakers.

These styles are great for outdoor activities, the gym and your daily walks, but they tend to work best with leisure, athleisure and active outfits—not necessarily an everyday dress.

There are a few reasons why:

They’re usually on the chunkier side.
They often have visible brand logos.
They tend to have thicker, more athletic-looking soles.
They can have design details that compete with the rest of your outfit.

Athletic sneakers can absolutely be stylish—but they’re stylish for active outfits.

Let’s look at this outfit because the difference is clear.

Woman in her 70s wearing a brown maxi dress with white sneakers.

The athletic sneaker is distracting. The chunkier style immediately pulls your attention toward the sneaker and away from the dress. You don’t want your sneakers competing with your outfit.

The simple, chic white sneaker does the opposite. It complements the dress instead of competing with it.

Here’s What to Look for When Choosing Sneakers to Wear With Dresses:

A simple, minimal style
A non-clunky sole
Minimal distracting details or designs
No large, super-visible logos

Once you have those basics in mind, you can start having more fun with the actual style and color.

Below, you’ll find my selection of sneakers that would look great styled with a dress.

Choosing the right sneakers is the biggest part of stylishly pulling off a dress-and-sneakers outfit.

How to Match Your Dress With Sneakers

Your dress should guide the sneakers you choose.

If You’re Wearing a Neutral Dress

A neutral-colored dress gives you the most flexibility.

You can pair it with a neutral sneaker, add a pop of color or even choose a statement sneaker with a pattern. Because the dress is neutral, you have more freedom to have fun with your sneaker choice without the outfit becoming too busy.

Women in their 70s wearing sneakers with a dress.

If You’re Wearing a Colored Dress

You have many of the same sneaker options as you do with a neutral dress, but if you’re choosing a colorful or statement sneaker, you’ll want to be more intentional with the rest of your outfit.

Too many statement pieces can start taking away from the overall look.

So, if you’re pairing a colored dress with a statement sneaker—or a colored dress with a different colored sneaker—I recommend keeping your layers and accessories neutral.

That gives you somewhere to break up the color instead of having every part of the outfit competing for attention.

Women in their 70s styling a dress with sneakers.

If You’re Wearing a Patterned Dress

If your dress has a pattern with multiple colors, you can keep things simple with a neutral sneaker or pull one of the colors from the pattern into your shoes.

For example, if your dress pattern includes red and you want to wear red sneakers, that pairing works because you’re repeating a color that’s already in the outfit.

If you’re pairing a patterned dress with a colorful sneaker, the same rule applies: avoid adding too many other statement pieces and use neutrals to break up the look.

And if your patterned dress is made up of neutral colors only, you have even more flexibility. You can stick with a neutral sneaker or use your sneakers to add a pop of color.