Loafers are the most convenient and instantly chic shoes that fashion has to offer us today. You can go from dusk to dawn and from desk to dress, in these, with ease. But the humble loafer didn’t always have this star status. It found its beginnings in being a shoe that was kind of like a palette cleanser. Confused? We’ll clear this up.

Flashback to the 1960s: It was a glorious time. It was the time of Italian automobiles. There were snazzy cars in every color seen on the streets. Only, the crème de la crème could afford these beautiful machines. Every night, it seemed like there was a car show in town. No matter how tired the people were, dusk called for revving engines and carburetor smoke. However, amidst all this finery, men noticed that their ritzy and plush leather shoes were getting ruined. Why, you ask? The soles of their shoes were made with premium quality leather, and due to the pedals in the car, they faced wear and tear.

Necessity is the mother of invention. Due to these beautiful soles being tortured, it was apparent; a driving shoe was a mandate. And so the Loafer was born. The beauty of this shoe was that it had tiny little rubber “nubs”, that made shifting from brake to accelerator extremely smooth. The soft sole aided this process as the correct amount of pressure was applied, due to the malleable bottom. Back in the 60s, only the rich could afford cars, therefore, only the rich could afford to buy shoes that were specially made for driving. But through the years, it was noticed that the other classes, to ape the rich, started purchasing these shoes and wearing them outside of the car. Eventually, the trend caught on and everyone was sporting this alluring shoe. Women too, took the loafer with ease and pizzazz. Case in point, Audrey Hepburn. She popularized the loafer through her movie, Funny Face. Once, this style icon sported them, women’s shoe fashion changed forever.

At Metro Shoes, we still refer to the loafer as the driving shoe and we have seen it evolve over the years. From convenience to class, it has truly done the circles and emerged victorious. We love this shoe, and regardless of gender, its simplicity steals our attention. Shop our favorite shoe and make it your own only at metroshoes.net!