Behold, The Loafer

Ahhh, the shoe that you can kick-off and slip-on. Of course, we’re talking about the slip-on shoe that is more commonly called a loafer. What began as casual footwear is now worn with almost anything from short pants to business suits.

Loafers at poolside …

The most famous of the loafers is the Penny Loafer. Made in 1934 by G.H. Bass using the name Weejuns, Bass added a distinctive band of leather across the saddle with a distinctive cut-out in a diamond shape. Ingenious people then began inserting pennies into the available space for a fashionable look.

Loafers, for men who play in the Big League …

Two theories exist as to why pennies were inserted into the saddle strip on top of the loafer. One is prep school students  did this purely as a fashion statement or for a rebellious look. The other theory maintains that the two pennies inserted into the shoes was the amount of money needed to make an emergency phone call in the 1930s. Heck, in the 1980s we put Krugerrands into the loafers because, well, it was the 80s. Thanks for visiting!

Other classic loafer styles …