Yep, it's true—bootcut jeans are back. There's just one problem: If you're not wearing them with boots like the name would suggest, what shoes should you wear with them? Well, Elsa Hosk just posted your answer. The model and Helsa founder published a slideshow of screenshot-worthy outfits to her Instagram feed this week, with one such ensemble offering a solution for the predicament I posed above: Brown kitten heels. Hosk recently sported a fabulous leopard-print Valentino coat (that casually costs $11,000!), bootcut jeans, and brown The Row pumps, finishing off the ensemble with a vintage Donald Duck T-shirt from Disneyland. Accessories-wise, a denim shoulder bag and Y2K sunnies were all she added.
For all intents and purposes, her statement coat should be the star of the show, but somehow, I kept coming back to her shoe-and-denim pairing. Not only did the cocoa-like brown color act as a neutral, elegant contrast to her mid-wash blue jeans, but the cut of her denim also fell easily and effortlessly over the top of her shoe style, with just the right amount of skin peaking out. Bootcut jeans aren't the easiest to style, so the fact that her shoe choice complemented the silhouette so well stuck with me—and made me want to buy a similar pair to re-create the combo.
On Elsa Hosk: Valentino Fauve Eclat Spotted Wool Cloth Coat ($11000); The Row shoes
Fortunately for me (and you!), there's no shortage of brown kitten heels and bootcut jeans to shop in 2026, and I spent my Monday morning compiling a list of all the best ones. From affordable options starting at $30 (for both jeans and shoes) to luxury alternatives by Prada and Nili Lotan, everything you need to copy Hosk's bootcut-jeans outfit is just a scroll away.
Get Elsa's Look
Shop Bootcut Jeans
Shop Brown Kitten Heels
