Imtiaz Ahmed - Head of Tailoring Team
Mr. Imtiaz Ahmed is working as a head of tailoring department at Shabab Al Yola. Over nearly two decades, he has worked with local clients across the Gulf and international customers who expect Gulf-standard tailoring delivered to their door. His hands-on experience covers every major regional style, including Emirati, Saudi, Qatari, Kuwaiti, and Omani cuts, along with the fine details that separate a well-made thobe from a great one. At Shahbab Al Yola, Imtiaz personally oversees the construction of every regional silhouette the brand produces. He knows Gulf garment-making inside out and brings that knowledge into every piece the brand produces.
You've got the perfect thobe on. The fabric is clean, the fit is just right, and you feel good. Then you look down and stare at your shoe rack for five minutes, not knowing what to pick.
Sound familiar?
The wrong pair can ruin your entire look, while the right one pulls everything together beautifully. And the good news? You don't need a huge budget or a fashion degree to get it right.
Let the UK's best thobe brand guide you. In this article, we will exactly cover what shoes work with a thobe, for every occasion and every crowd, including what men in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar actually wear, and what works best for Muslims living in the UK, US, and Canada.
Think of your thobe as a blank canvas. Because it covers most of your body, your shoes become one of the very few visible styling details. They carry a lot of weight.
A white thobe with clean white sneakers looks sharp and modern. The same thobe with scuffed, wrong-occasion shoes looks instantly sloppy. Small details create big difference.
The three things to keep in mind when picking your footwear are the:
Occasion (casual, formal, or mosque)
Colour of your thobe
How easy the shoes are to slip on and off
Let's break it down properly.
Living in the West changes the shoe game slightly. The thobe is mostly worn for Jummah, Eid, weddings, and Islamic events rather than everyday wear, so occasion-specific choices matter more here.
Here's what actually works:
This is the most popular choice among younger Muslim men in the UK, US, and Canada, and for good reason. Nike Air Force 1s in all-white have become almost synonymous with Eid and Jummah fits. They're clean, modern, and they look great with both white and coloured thobes.
The hack here is clean. Crisp, box-fresh white sneakers elevate the thobe. Yellowed or dirty ones do the opposite. Go for minimal branding and simple lines. Zara, New Balance, and Adidas all have solid options that don't scream "sportswear" when worn with a thobe.
For men who want to look handsome without going full formal, a pair of black or tan leather loafers is the move. They slip on easily, look decent, and work across a range of thobe colours. Black loafers work with white, grey, navy, and dark thobes. Tan loafers look great with lighter or earthy-toned thobes.
This is also the go-to choice for Nikah ceremonies, Eid gatherings, and family events where you want a sharp look.
Weddings, formal Eid prayers, and corporate Islamic events call for proper formal shoes. A classic black Oxford or a detailed brogue gives the thobe a genuinely elevated finish. This pairing looks especially clean with a long Saudi-style white thobe or a luxury embroidered thobe.
Many UK-based Islamic clothing stores now stock Arabic-style leather mules and slip-on sandals specifically designed to be worn with thobes. These are ideal for mosque visits because they are easy to remove, feel respectful, and are genuinely comfortable.
The Skechers Hands-Free Slip-Ins trend that took off in the Gulf has also made its way into Western Muslim communities. They are particularly popular among older men who want all-day comfort. The Contour Foam sole makes a long Jummah or Taraweeh night much easier on the feet.
If there's one shoe that belongs with a thobe more than anything else, it's the traditional Arabic sandal, known as na'al.
This is the shoe that Gulf men have worn with their thobes for generations, and for good reason. It's open, breathable, easy to remove before prayer, and it looks completely natural next to the flowing fabric of a thobe.
There are two main styles you'll come across:
The toe-ring sandal is the most traditional Saudi style. It has a wide leather strap across the foot with a small loop for the big toe. It comes in white, cream, or dark brown leather and pairs beautifully with both white and coloured thobes.
The two-strap buckle sandal is the signature style of the Emirates and Qatar. You've probably seen it with those chunky-strapped, slightly elevated leather sandals, often in dark brown with an orange lining, or in clean white. The buckle detail gives it a slightly more modern, put-together look compared to the basic na'al.
Both styles are genuinely comfortable for all-day wear, which is a big reason they've stuck around for so long.
Saudi men are known for keeping their thobe game traditional but clean. The footwear choices reflect that.
For everyday and casual settings, you'll see the classic handmade leather Arabic sandal. These are often in dark or chocolate brown with intricate croc-textured leather on the upper strap. Simple, comfortable, and timeless.
For occasions like office meetings, gatherings, or family events, Saudi men tend to reach for leather loafers. Black pebbled leather loafers, in particular, are very popular because they bridge the gap between smart and easy to wear. No laces, clean lines, and they look polished without being over the top.
For weddings and formal celebrations, formal leather shoes (Oxford or Derby style) in black are the go-to. They signal effort and dress the thobe up significantly.
In the UAE, the thobe is called a kandura, and the shoe culture around it has a slightly more fashion-forward edge.
The classic UAE buckle sandal in dark brown with that distinctive orange inner sole is considered a style icon in its own right. Many Emiratis are deeply loyal to this style because it's part of national identity, not just fashion.
But walk around Dubai or Abu Dhabi today, and you'll also see a lot of Emirati men pairing their kanduras with white slip-on sneakers and Skechers Hands-Free Slip-Ins. The comfort-first approach has become completely mainstream. Skechers in particular became hugely popular across the Gulf because of how effortlessly they slip on and off during prayer times.
Qatar sits right in the middle. Qatari men wear the same classic two-strap sandal as their Emirati neighbors for casual and mosque settings. But Qataris are also very comfortable mixing sporty footwear into their traditional dress.
You'll see white clean-sole sneakers and sport-style shoes alongside more formal leather loafers and Oxford shoes. The approach is versatile: keep it sandals for casual days and prayers, switch to leather for formal events, and don't be afraid of a clean pair of trainers for daily outings.
You don't need to overthink this. Follow one simple rule: neutral shoes with any thobe, statement shoes only with plain thobes.
If you are heading to the mosque, slip-on shoes are always the better choice. Lace-up shoes at Friday prayer are a small logistical nightmare for both you and the people waiting behind you.
Prioritize sandals, loafers, slip-ins, or easy slip-on sneakers for any mosque visit. Your entire row will silently thank you.
Eid prayer and family visits: White sneakers or leather loafers. Keep it clean and comfortable.
Nikah or wedding: Oxford shoes or formal leather loafers. Black is always a safe bet.
Jummah prayer: Arabic sandals, Skechers slip-ins, or any slip-on shoe. Easy on and off.
Casual daily wear (Gulf countries): Classic na'al sandals or buckle sandals for a traditional feel, or casual sneakers for a relaxed modern look.
Formal meetings or events: Black leather Oxfords or smart loafers. The thobe does the rest of the work.
A thobe is more than just clothing. It carries meaning, history, and a quiet dignity that deserves to be completed properly. Your shoes don't need to be expensive to look right. They just need to suit the occasion, match the mood of your thobe, and be clean.
Start with one good pair of white sneakers and one pair of leather loafers, and you'll be covered for 90% of occasions. Build from there.
Take a look at our full to find the perfect thobe to match your next shoe selection.
