• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

One loafer above all others

Naive Jr.

Timed Out
Timed Out
Joined
Jun 10, 2010
Messages
718
Reaction score
48
DcDrape - Thanks for your thread and the beautiful loafer model photos are fabulous! It was thrilling to meet such charming and well-informed loafer enthusiasts and contribute! Bye bye! ????‍♂️ PS: No North without South and vice versa. No right without left foot. ??♾️
 
Last edited:

apd90700

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2021
Messages
396
Reaction score
246
What we really should be doing is making a thread about the best entry pair of loafers for the money, that way if posterity stumbles across this thread, they know where to start their search. Doubt many are going to be diving into cordovan loafers on their first pair.
 

9thsymph

Distinguished Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2012
Messages
4,163
Reaction score
6,230
What we really should be doing is making a thread about the best entry pair of loafers for the money, that way if posterity stumbles across this thread, they know where to start their search. Doubt many are going to be diving into cordovan loafers on their first pair.

1. "Traveler, there is no path. The path is made by walking..."

2. I would have saved a lot of money if I had started off by diving into cordovan loafers as my first pair.
 

apd90700

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2021
Messages
396
Reaction score
246
1. "Traveler, there is no path. The path is made by walking..."

2. I would have saved a lot of money if I had started off by diving into cordovan loafers as my first pair.
I mean, yes and no. Calf leather from TLB is like half that price and quality is top notch. If you find a company that resells TLB made shoes under a different name, you can get TLB quality for a quarter the price of a cordovan pair, they’ll hold up nicely, and let you try out loafers to see if the person actually likes wearing loafers. Some people may not prefer the look, so why go ultra premium if you may find yourself seldom choosing the loafer over say a derby?
 

Naive Jr.

Timed Out
Timed Out
Joined
Jun 10, 2010
Messages
718
Reaction score
48
PS: : The South Side is home to the very best hatmaker? in the English-speaking world????️ - I take my hats either Lock? and Christy? and Bates ?
off in deepest admiration to
Optimo and two South Siders✌️:

Optimo's founder and his mentor.

All Chicago and Chicagoland i. e. North Shore North Side Chicago Lake Michigan
might be very proud and grateful to be location of this supreme hatmaker Optimo, ???Made on South Side of Chicago, USA?????
 
Last edited:

9thsymph

Distinguished Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2012
Messages
4,163
Reaction score
6,230
PS: : The South Side is home to the best hatmaker in the English-speaking world - I take my hats either Lock and Christy and Bates to Optimo and two South Siders Optimo's founder and his mentor.
All Chicago and Chicagoland must be grateful to be location of this supreme hatmaker Optimo, #1. ??

I go to Optimo. They're fantastic.
 

Despos

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Mar 16, 2006
Messages
8,770
Reaction score
5,781
What loafer is above all others in Lake County?
 

Duke Santos

Distinguished Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2021
Messages
1,933
Reaction score
3,867
Another twist in this thread

58wxth.jpg
 

orange fury

Distinguished Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2011
Messages
4,751
Reaction score
16,617
My most worn pair, and if pressed, if I could only have one pair of shoes- my unlined Alden LHS in color 8 she’ll from Brooks. I’ve worn them with everything from sockless with shorts to a suit.

my Allen Edmonds burg shell Grayson tassels and brown and black Verona bit loafers also get a ton of wear, so probably those too.

edit to add: another vote for Rancourt CXL beefrolls. Not number one, but a close number two- mine work great up to a blazer/chinos
 
Last edited:

leadbelly2550

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2011
Messages
62
Reaction score
63
I own 2 pair of loafers - they serve different purposes, so it’s tough to say one is ‘better’ than the other.

Alden 986 - shell cordovan, color 8. Clearly the more expensive pair. Once they are broken in, which took a while for me, they are a loafer that can play equally with a suit or more casual wear for me.

Rancourt beef roll penny loafers. Made from Horween chromexel leather, Carolina Brown, soles made from Lactae hevea, aka natural latex. A more casual shoe, thick chromexel leather that’s softer and more comfortable to wear initially. Go to shoe with khakis. Less than half the price of Alden shell cordovan and a massive upgrade from Weejuns.
 

orange fury

Distinguished Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2011
Messages
4,751
Reaction score
16,617
^That's interesting. I wonder why there'd be more rejects for unlined shell. One of shell's disadvantages is that a small tear can easily grow. The lined versions would have more stitching and thus more opportunities for tears (just a few). And I'd imagine that omitting the lining would make them a little easier to make. But maybe not. I hope BB or someone else starts to offer the unlined versions.


BB started to have them made in Italy, and not out of Horween shell, so my guess was that they were trying to cut costs.
Online reviews of the AE Patriot savage the fit, and I have to say that the last is not as nice as Alden's. It's too symmetrical, so on me, it's a bit tight on the big toe and the largest pinky joint.

I bought a pair of AE Patriots a couple years back. The first day I wore them to work I ended up taking them off by lunch and had to walk back to my parking garage barefoot, which was less painful than wearing the shoes. The fit was “correct”, but the strap was so tight across the top of my foot that after a couple hours my feet were bruised. And I have very “normal” feet.
 

DcDrape

Active Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2020
Messages
25
Reaction score
7
Just catching up on all the posts so far in this thread. First off, very happy to see people are this passionate about loafers! Second off, if you have one too many and try to follow this thread you end up laughing 90% of the time.

Good job everyone!
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.4%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 18.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,182
Messages
10,579,221
Members
223,890
Latest member
MakersGumy
Top