Stylish Lug Sole Shoes Under $100
In 2021, I wrote about stylish lug sole shoes under $100 and folks were mixed regarding this new shoe trend. Now it is 2024, and the lug sole shoe trend is still hot. With new spring styles coming out and winter shoes going on sale, I felt it was a perfect time to update this post with the latest styles in lug soles!
And because I know folks will ask about the image above, these cute pink lug sole loafers are from Portland Leather. They are $88 and come in a range of classic and fun colors!
What is a Lug Sole?
A lug sole is a thick rubber sole with deep indentations in a pattern designed to provide secure footing. Lug soles are often seen on work boots, and they also give Dr. Martens their iconic style. Lug sole shoes are great for stability and comfort and an on-trend style for the season.
Stylish Lug Sole Shoes Under $100
While I am a big fan of the lug sole trend and appreciate it is a trend that seems to be available at most any pricepoint. Below I share several stylish lug sole shoes under $100 so you can try out this comfy and chic trend without breaking the bank.
Lug Sole Loafers Under $100
The most popular lug sole shoe this season is the loafer. While most any style of loafer is chic this season, the lug sole adds drama and comfort and plays with proportions. Playing with proportions is another big trend this season. Pair with dresses, pants, jeans, and play with silhouettes. Often a lug sole loafer is versatile enough to look great with narrower and shorter trousers.
silver with tassel | khaki platform | off-white | pewter | cream | black | silver
Lug Sole Oxfords & Brogues Under $100
An oxford or brogue is a classic lace-up shoe that looks chic with menswear-inspired looks as well as a contrast to more feminine dresses and looks with volume.
black leather | pink vegan suede | black patent | black and white | red leather | navy patent
Lug Sole Sandals Under $100
Spring will be here before you know it. A great way to extend the look of your wide-leg jeans, full trousers, and fuller dresses is to switch out your lug-sole closed-toe shoe for a lug-sole sandal. Looking chic with everything from chino shorts to sundresses, these will be comfortable and quite versatile.
light blue | off-white | black (widths available) | tan | pink | white
How to Style Lug Sole Shoes?
Trying to style a chunky shoe with a lug sole can be intimidating. However, you will find that 2024 fashion trends embrace such shoes. Wide-leg pants and jeans (cropped and full-length) look great with lug-sole shoes. A midi-length skirt or dress with some volume can also handle the weight of a lug sole shoe. Even a shorter babydoll or a-line dress works great with lug soles.
Think what we wore in the '90s with Doc Martens. Now modernize that for 2024 and your grown-ass self. Instead of JNCOS, consider a pair of Madewell Perfect Vintage Wide Leg Jeans. Instead of some thrifted trousers (or a pair from Delia's), consider the Old Navy High-Waisted Pull-On Pixie Wide-Leg Pants.
What Socks To Wear With Lug Sole Shoes?
The biggest change between 2021 and 2024 when wearing lug soles is what socks to wear with such shoes. In 2021, visible hosiery wasn't popular and I recommended no-show socks. And while you are free to wear no-show socks with your shoes, also know hosiery is back.
You will see this season, many folks wearing socks in a bright pop of color. This may be a color picked up from a print in the outfit, or it may be a color that isn't seen anywhere else in the ensemble. You want a sock that fills the space between shoe and pant hem, that isn't too thick and doesn't slide down and bunch.
One of the most popular colorful sock for women is the UNIQLO Colorful 50 Sock. Available in pretty much any color you can imagine, these socks shrink a bit when washed and then are known for a great fit and cuffs that stay up all day. At only $4.90, you can stock up on your favorite colors to add interest to any outfit, with or without lug sole shoes.
For colorful organic cotton blend and recycled merino wool socks, check out Colorful Standard. A sustainable brand with ethical business practices, Colorful Standard has pretty colors and a highly rated design.
Prints are also acceptable and can show your personality. I like Sock Dreams for witty and colorful printed socks. Cute But Crazy carries wide calf socks in a great range of prints and designs. Also consider sheer trouser socks, they come in patterns and a range of colors and are on trend and a great option for the workplace.
White is always right, and you will see folks wearing what is called a “quarter crew” sock with dresses and lug sole shoes. This “quarter crew” length is also perfect in black, and in sheer trouser sock options (plain and patterned). Folks will also cuff socks to get them at a “quarter crew” length. For dresses, classic tights or sheer black or patterned stockings are also on trend.
The photos above are from Net-a-Porter. When I am looking for styling inspiration for shoes, I often go here. While Net-a-Porter doesn't have lug sole shoes under $100, they do style their shoes with the current trends of hosiery and clothing silhouettes and it can be helpful when putting together your own outfit.
Essentially, in 2024, seeing your socks is acceptable and a way to express your personality and sense of style. And Having your socks hidden continues to be chic!
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I’ve been wanting to get a pair of black oxfords, but couldn’t settle on a pair. After reading this post, went for the black Clarks. OMG. They are so incredibly comfortable and very supportive; I walk approx. 20 minutes to work, and they didn’t rub my heels even on the first day. I can’t believe the quality for the price, and the number of compliments at my office for wearing something right on edge of formal/informal. Thanks for the recs!
That’s wonderful! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, universe, for including socks in the trend this time! (And Alison, for the helpful info and links)
Hooray for warm ankles and dry feet!
This style is definitely cute & comfortable too. I’ve gotten some lug sole ankle boots & am really loving them with my wider leg jeans, so it makes sense that the loafers would work well too.
If you ever have time for a post on Mary Jane style flats & the types of pants, jeans, skirts, etc. to wear them with, I’d love to see that. I got a pair from Rothy’s a few months ago & love them with ankle kick crop jeans or similar pants —but I’m stumped on other options. I’m seeing sites showing wide leg pants & jeans with MJ’s. Is that too twee for us older ladies??
This is in my queue and I do not think it’s too twee. I have been on a hunt for exactly this kind of shoe in the finish that appeals to me most (silver mirror, but I love all the different colors and fabrics out there). I hope to have this soon!
Last winter I bought a pair of Sam Edelman Chelsea boots with a lug sole and most of the time I love them. The only time I don’t is when I am trying to pull them on, the tiny tag at the back of the boots isn’t big enough to get my socked foot in comfortably.
I’ve seen a lot of these but most inexpensive ones fail my test, which is to see if the sole will bend.
If the sole won’t flex and bend you’ll be walking around with duck feet looking like a clown.
Lug soles can be the perfect answer to finky feet. The thick rubber sole, not some wedge of plastic, add your own arch insert if needed, absorbs impact, and feels great. But, it’s got to have some flex.
Under $100 pair of shoes that aren’t comfortable is a waste. My Mother bought me a pair of heels to wear to work back in 1982, and they had a lug sole, it was fairly thin, but even then it was a thing. Currently I’ve got several pairs of lug soled shoes -Cole Hahn, Munro American- that are more than a few years old so I think it’s fair to say it’s a long trend. what seems to vary is the thickness of the sole, the lugs are the timeless element. Don’t waste your money on cheap ones, get a pair that are comfortable and you’ll find yourself wearing them all the time.
I so agree! I’ll look for sales or resale versions of higher quality shoes rather than buy cheaper versions, even a trend. They just aren’t comfortable and the resale value is almost nothing.
I appreciate Allison’s point of view though and she’s done an amazing job of finding stylish, versatile and fun versions to consider.
Try some Paul Green lug soles—boots, pumps, loafers, sandals. Comfort and fashion forward. Although they are pricey, I have PG lug sole loafers that are at least 10 years old and have years more wear in them.
Wow, this is great! I have been wearing [and searching for] nice-looking, comfy lug-soled shoes ever since I moved into the US Upper Midwest and then to upstate New York years ago. Staying upright in strong winds, rain, sleet, ice, snow…..and lovely fall and winter days….has been my goal. I even have a pair of lovely black suede 3″ pumps [THAT was a long time ago!] for those sleety dressy times. Thanks, Alison, for always being so helpful!
I want to try the trend but need more arch support and comfort than must of those under $100 brands. I’m gonna try the Vionic Shearling ones.
Am I the only one who just cannot embrace this trend? Maybe in a boot, where they sometimes look like they belong, but otherwise I’m gonna pass on this one. Why would I want my feet to look so huge and bulky?
I am having so many flashbacks to my early high school days in Texas right now!
I bought a pair of ankle boots this weekend that play into the lug sole trend, but don’t have a lug sole visible from 10 feet away. I thought they were a nice way to update my wardrobe but have some staying power if the trend only lasts a season or two. (Blondo Sawyer bootie)
Now those I could do, and I like Blondo boots. It’s like a baby lug sole.
It’s like Brenda Kinsel advised: wear a fraction of a trend.
Aaah. We miss Brenda, don’t we? I live in CA and frequent the resale store run by her daughters. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree with her daughters. Great at styling.