Cigarette Jeans are Trending—These are the Shoes They Look Best With

If you’re looking to refresh your spring denim rotation, I have just one recommendation: cigarette jeans. After seasons dominated by puddling hems and ultra-baggy silhouettes, the pendulum is swinging back, and slim-fitting, slightly cropped cigarette jeans are reclaiming their place as the fashion person’s favourite.

Streamlined, but not fussy, this neater silhouette is easier to dress up than slouchy styles, whilst also lending itself to a broader range of occasions. Making my case, Olivia Rodrigo was spotted out this week in a mid-blue pair cropped just above the ankle, cut in a clean stovepipe fit, which she wore styled simply with a white T-shirt layered beneath a black fur-trimmed jacket.

Of course, it was her footwear choice that really caught my eye. Rather than reaching for trainers or barely-there heels, Rodrigo grounded her jeans with glossy black square-toe boots. The structured shape bridged the flash of skin that the cropped hemline would otherwise reveal, creating a smooth, uninterrupted line from hip to toe. The squared finish, meanwhile, added a directional edge that round or pointed styles just can’t quite replicate.