Why Loafers Make the Perfect Slip-On Summer Shoe
Not long ago, amidst a whirlwind of collaborations, limited-edition colourways, and evolving styles, footwear enthusiasts were forced to ask themselves, “Have we reached peak sneaker?” The answer, it seems, was a resounding “yes.” But a new footwear contender has stepped up to claim shoe supremacy just in time for summer. And this slip-on style — the loafer — is one of the coolest, most easy-wearing shoes a man can own.
Loafers as we know them today began with a man named Nils Gregoriusson Tveranger, a Norwegian shoemaker who honed his craft in the United States. The legend goes that Tveranger drew inspiration for his initial design from both Iroquois moccasins and Indigenous Norwegian footwear. The resulting slip-on shoes were adopted by Scandinavian farmers, who favoured convenient, comfortable footwear while tending to their cattle across wide, free-roaming “loafing areas” (hence, loafers).
Later, John R. Bass, a shoemaker from Maine, made a pivotal design change by adding a bridge across the shoe’s upper. This simple yet significant tweak sparked an explosion in the style’s popularity, and loafers hit it big across college campuses during the 1950s and ’60s, with students carrying single dimes or pennies in their loafers’ bridges in case they needed to make emergency phone calls. And it was this craze that put the “penny” in “penny loafer.”
Around the same time in Europe, Aldo Gucci was transforming the loafer’s aesthetic in his own luxurious way. The Italian fashion house refined the design’s lines in 1953, introducing a distinctive, gold horse-bit embellishment and sleek, black leather construction, effectively elevating the loafer to formal-wear status and establishing an iconic Gucci signature in the process. This spin on the style was spotted on the feet of everyone from Kirk Douglas to a young JFK Jr., then the Wall Street set of the ’80s and stars such as Paul Mescal today.
Which brings us back to the post-sneaker world of 2024. It should come as no surprise that the loafer has reclaimed its spot atop our footwear rankings, because it’s a style that can get you out of countless sartorial jams — whether that be tempering upscale tailoring with a touch of the casual, or elevating weekend streetwear to new heights. It’s also the perfect easy-to-remove shoe if you’re navigating a busy airport.
Of course, if you’ve never worn a loafer, you may be a little intimidated by the style. But if you treat them as you would sneakers, and embrace the potential for a little wear and tear, you’ll never look back. Just remember — loafers are for loafing!
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