Five Loafers Worth Knowing, and Exactly Who Each One Is For
Most “top five” lists are marketing dressed as advice. This one is a shortlist: five pairs we would actually point a friend to, and the reason behind each one, which is different every time.
For each pair we also say who it isn't for. A shoe that suits ten thousand people doesn't have to suit you. Prices below were current when we wrote this.
1. Yacht, genuine suede loafers for men — $99.90
Real suede, visible stitching across the vamp, a decorative lace. Our signature men's pair, and the reason it works is simple: it is dressy without being stiff, so it covers the office and the weekend with one shoe.
For you if you want one good pair and would rather not think about it again.
Not for you if you walk in the rain. Suede and water don't get along.
What we'd do: brush it before the first wear and every few weeks after. See the Yacht loafers, or the wider range in men's suede loafers.
2. Soft synthetic leather loafers for men — $69.90
A very flexible sole and a faux leather upper. This is the one to buy when you don't want to think in the morning: it goes on in a second and it doesn't fight your foot.
For you if you are on your feet all day, commuting, moving around a city.
Not for you if you need a formal dress shoe. It reads casual, and it should.
Worth knowing: faux leather never relaxes, so take your true size. See the soft men's pair or all men's loafers.
3. Women's soft suede loafers — $49.90
Soft suede, flat, no structure fighting your foot. The easiest pair on this list to actually wear, and the one we recommend most often for travel because it packs flat and goes on in a second.
For you if you want something you can walk in all day that still looks chosen.
Not for you if you want height. This one is flat and stays flat.
See the women's soft suede pair, or the rest in women's soft loafers.
4. Classic tassel loafers for men — $79.90
The tassel is the most sociable detail in the family: it takes chinos, dark straight jeans and a suit without a tie. It is one notch below a plain pair for anything very formal, and better than a plain pair everywhere else.
For you if you already own a plain black pair and want the second one to say something.
Not for you if your dress code is strict. In that room, plain wins.
What we'd do: take it in brown. Black tassels harden the shoe. See the classic tassel pair, men's tassel loafers, and how to wear them in five occasions, five ways.
5. Patent loafers on a thick sole — $99.90
Patent leather on a chunky sole, for women. This is the statement pair of the list. It catches light on its own, which is the whole point and also the constraint: everything else you wear stays matte and plain.
For you if you want one pair that makes a plain outfit look deliberate.
Not for you if you are walking cobblestones all day. A thick sole is rigid and doesn't roll through the step.
See the patent thick-soled pair, plus women's patent loafers and platform loafers.
If you can only take one
Dark brown, smooth leather, no ornament — it is the pair that is wrong in no situation, and the one we would buy first. Everything else on this list is a good second pair. Browse brown loafers or women's loafers.
Shipping is $5.90 across the US and Canada, $9.90 insured against loss, breakage and theft, and free once the order passes $70. Returns are 14 days from delivery, unworn and in the original packaging, with return shipping on you.
Next: how to wear men's loafers, and how to keep them looking right.
