The Best Loafers To Buy Now And Love Forever
A classic pair of loafers combines effortless polish, walk-miles comfort and timeless appeal. Here, COLLEEN ROSS rounds up the styles to add to your forever closet
The word versatile gets thrown around a lot in fashion, but loafers are the real deal: they truly go with everything. The beauty of this preppy shoe is that it will always retain an air of polish, which allows it to pull a look together in an instant – whether elevating jeans, grounding floaty dresses or finishing crisp tailoring. You only need to look at the SS26 runways for proof. Brands such as Calvin Klein Collection, Bottega Veneta, Tove and Khaite styled a plethora of looks with sleek loafers. Plus, the silhouette has been worn on rotation by style icons for decades (Katharine Hepburn, Princess Diana, Sienna Miller and Zoë Kravitz, to name just a few), cementing their wear-forever appeal.
The best loafers retain original design codes, including polished leather uppers, a structured sole and either a gleaming metal buckle, tassels or a penny strap (according to fashion lore, the cutout detail was once used for carrying a coin to make emergency phone calls). Unsurprisingly, given their evergreen nature, most brands with leather-working credentials have at least one signature iteration. Classic colorways – black, brown and tan – are adaptable all-rounders that wear well. Look to Saint Laurent for a riff on the collegiate penny loafer, this season reworked with a collapsible heel, or try Christen’s sleek style in smooth burgundy leather and a slightly elevated heel. Of course, no loafer roundup would be complete without mentioning Gucci. The iconic Italian house has been crafting classic loafers for more than 70 years, and its ‘Jordaan’ style is an update on the original horsebit design, which first launched in 1953.
SAINT LAURENTLe Loafer embellished collapsible-heel glossed-eel loafers$1,350.00View Product DetailsSelect a SizeEU 35EU 35.5EU 36 - low stockEU 36.5 - out of stockEU 37EU 37.5EU 38EU 38.5EU 39EU 39.5 - low stockEU 40 - low stockEU 40.5 - out of stockEU 41
GUCCIJordaan horsebit-detailed leather loafers$1,090.00View Product DetailsSelect a Size36 - out of stock36.5 - low stock3737.5 - low stock3838.5 - low stock39 - low stock39.5 - out of stock40 - low stock40.54141.5 - out of stock42 - out of stock
CHRISTENClassic Square leather loafers$1,550.00View Product DetailsSelect a Size3637 - low stock38 - low stock39 - low stock4041 - low stock
THE ROWAwar suede loafers$1,290.00View Product DetailsSelect a Size3637 - out of stock37.5 - low stock38 - low stock38.5 - low stock39 - low stock39.5 - low stock40 - out of stock40.541 - out of stock42
Elsewhere, brands have added slick, contemporary details to the nostalgic silhouette. Jil Sander’s slip-on loafers, for instance, are topped with hand-knotted detailing and gold rings, while Gabriela Hearst’s square-toe ‘Aveda’ loafers come with contrasting suede panels. Wear them with a midi skirt and ankle socks or slouchy, wide-leg jeans.
JIL SANDERKnot-detailed leather loafers
GABRIELA HEARSTAveda suede-trimmed leather loafers$950.00View Product DetailsSelect a Size36 - low stock36.5 - out of stock37 - low stock37.538 - low stock38.5 - low stock39 - low stock39.5 - out of stock40 - low stock40.54141.542 - low stock
JAMIE HALLERLeather loafers$625.00View Product DetailsSelect a Size36 - low stock37 - low stock383940 - low stock41 - low stock42
SAINT LAURENTLe Loafer eel loafers$1,350.00View Product DetailsSelect a SizeEU 35EU 36 - low stockEU 36.5EU 37 - low stockEU 37.5 - out of stockEU 38 - low stockEU 38.5 - out of stockEU 39 - low stockEU 39.5EU 40 - low stockEU 40.5EU 41EU 41.5EU 42
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