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Loafers: The on-trend but understated shoe of the season
Already a major hit among fashionistas, loafers appear to be a perfect interlude before high heels make their anticipated return.
Influencer Emma Chamberlain is a fan of loafers | Picture: Photography Emma Chamberlain / Instagram 2022
We didn’t see this coming! Just weeks before school and fall activities get underway in September, loafers or moccasins seem to have crept into women’s wardrobes, between their beloved sneakers and foot-exposing sandals.
A mix of chic and comfortable, this style, which dates back centuries if not millennia, is already a major hit among fashionistas, and appears to be a perfect interlude before high heels make their anticipated return.
Is anyone still wearing stilettos? If a handful of women persist in putting on ultra-high heels to literally elevate their look when they leave the confines of their homes, the majority of women have been turning to trendy sneaker style and combat boots, two styles that have allowed them to maintain a certain level of comfort without renouncing their style. And of course, with summer came shoe styles that allow women to expose their feet to a maximum and in many cases are rather comfortable too. But what will happen to our feet come fall?
Well, it’s the loafer or moccasin style that looks to be dominating the transition period before vertiginous heels make their comeback, something that’s been predicted by style experts.
While the origin of the moccasin style has largely been attributed to the Algonquins, an indigenous people in Canada, with a first model dating back more than 5,000 years, modern variations on the style are multiple and varied. Many personalities, on both sides of the Atlantic, have already been spotted in such styles.
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American influencer Emma Chamberlain is an example. The social network star has already made it her favourite footwear, wearing loafer styles with a range of dresses and proving that it can be worn with everything, well almost everything.
Jeans, pants, skirts, dresses, shorts, suits, even Bermuda shorts and jogging shorts…They pair with the ensemble of women’s — and men’s — wardrobes, with or without socks (images of the the1950s model by Aldo Gucci come to mind), adapting to all styles, tastes, and desires of the moment.
Chic, timeless and gender-neutral
In the end, it’s not that surprising to see loafers rise from the ashes (were they ever truly dead?), since they are a perfect combination of style and comfort, keywords since the start of the pandemic.
Men and women may not be ready to go back to pre-pandemic workplace dress codes — suits, high heels, etc — however, now that many are heading back to the office they are inclined to adopt more chic pieces and accessories than the jogging pants-sneakers combo that was their go-to during the heyday of remote working. And the loafer appears to be the ideal shoe for this in-between time.
Another key advantage of the loafer is that it comes in a plethora of versions. Soft sole, platform, or notched (ideal for the new school year), the shoe works for most people with its huge possibilities in terms of mixing styles.
Classic black loafers remain the most popular, but more colourful versions can also bring a touch of energy to a look, and there are models with and without laces. At summer’s end, as we head into fall, it is also the perfect transition footwear to go from barefoot to winter boots, the ideal mid-season shoe.
The icing on the cake is that while it has long been seen as a masculine style, loafers have already been seen on the feet of women over many years, and today appear as a non-gendered style, just like sneakers.
A selling point for those looking to adopt non-binary fashion, which, more than a short-lived trend, has become a real societal phenomenon.
In addition to Emma Chamberlain, Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner have also already embraced the trend. Hailey Bieber paired it with a little black dress with thin straps and white socks, while Kendall Jenner chose a bralette and sarong-like skirt to pair with her loafers, which she wore without socks.
French influencer Lena Situations also tested the trend, opting for a pink jumpsuit. There’s no doubt about it, once you try wearing loafers, you’ll be a convert.
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