The loafer, a shoe associated with country-club style and school uniforms, has been around for more than a century. A quality pair can hold up against various weather conditions and can be worn as easily with dresses and skirts as it can with pants and suiting. But with so many options on the market, how does one choose?
According to Tabitha Simmons, a stylist and Vogue contributor who had a namesake shoe label, loafers made of patent leather or box calf leather tend to be more durable. Box calf and other stiff leathers, though, can take longer to break in.
For loafers that channel the timelessness of a shoe popularized by figures like Katharine Hepburn and Alexa Chung, the celebrity stylist June Ambrose recommended versions with an almond-shaped toe, which she described as a middle ground between round and pointy. Ms. Ambrose, whose clients include Jay-Z and Missy Elliott, added that “really beat up” loafers have more character.
Styles with a square toe may be more appropriate for those whose first priority is comfort. “Square toes are the most comfortable because your foot can spread out, but it can look clunky,” said Mary Jane Fort, a costume designer for movies including “Mean Girls” and “Metropolitan,” a 1990 film in which she dressed many characters in loafers, pearls and headbands to signify their blue-blooded backgrounds.
Emme Parsons: Danielle Loafer ($550)
Repetto: Michael Rubber Sole Loafers ($460)
J.M. Weston: 180 Loafer ($842)
Franco Sarto: Franco Bocca Slip-On Loafer ($120)
Suzanne Rae: Pointed Loafer ($550)
Ecco: Sculpted LX Loafer ($130)
Kleman: Dalior 2 Loafer ($220)
Idée Fixe: Loafers 02 ($310)
Le Monde Béryl: Soft Loafer ($595)
Jamie Haller: The Penny Loafer ($595)
Carmina: Full Strap Penny Loafers ($475)
Loafers were mostly worn by men until the time of World War II, when, Ms. Fort explained, “women who were working in and running factories began wearing them to work because they are comfortable and stylish.” The footwear later became associated with preppy style. In recent years, loafers been revisited by women looking for dressier attire in which to re-enter the world after being isolated at home during the Covid pandemic.
The shoe company G.H. Bass, founded in Maine in 1876, introduced its Weejuns loafers in 1936. Offered in various finishes and silhouettes for women (starting at $175), Weejuns, as far as loafers are concerned, are considered a classic American standard.
On the other end of the price spectrum are loafers from The Row, a label mentioned by both Ms. Simmons and Ms. Ambrose which sells versions with slim profiles and made of suede (starting at $1,080) or leather (starting at $1,290). Gucci and Church’s are two other heritage brands known for their loafers, which, like pairs from The Row, are among the more luxurious options.
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