Why Loafers Are Going to Be 2020's Most Important Shoe

The menswear staple is eking out sneakers for footwear dominance. HYPEBEAST Features - Go in-depth and learn more about the culture. [HYPEBEAST]( [Features]( February 14, 2020 [Why Loafers Are Going to Be 2020's Most Important Shoe]( The menswear staple is eking out sneakers for footwear dominance. Stüssy It’s funny how trends latch on to otherwise ordinary garments, giving would-be staple pieces a sudden sense of urgency that dissipates within a few seasons. The Spring/Summer 2020 season, for instance, saw menswear brands like Dior, Louis Vuitton and UNDERCOVER embracing tailoring, bringing arguably the most trend-averse piece of clothing — the suit — into the style-conscious limelight. Though the street-style set will likely be making room in their closets for a new selection of blazers in the months to come, the real revolution may already be underfoot: enter the rise of the loafer. A timeless staple since the early days of G.H. Bass & Co’s Weejuns, the loafer’s popularity has hardly ever wavered in certain menswear (read: formalwear) circles. Otherwise, the leather shoe has jostled for favor with other laceless styles like sandals and espadrilles. The workwear boom of the late naughties saw a newfound appreciation for heritage brands like Alden and Viberg and upstarts like Oak Street Bootmakers alike, with the following years marked by streetwear revisions of traditional silhouettes and plentiful luxury options. In particular, the latter industry is primarily responsible for launching the humble loafer to stratospheric new heights. Paul Jeong | HYPEBAE In 2015 Gucci launched its now-iconic Princetown mule, a moment marked in loafer infamy. The backless, fur-lined shoe was a mutation of the legendary Gucci bit loafer, dreamed up by then-new creative director Alessandro Michele and destined to spark countless thought pieces about the season’s new must-have shoe. Five years on, the Princetown is still a staple, coveted across the globe. Its legacy lives on in the countless luxury mules that have emerged since, but it wasn’t until the rise of the Ugly, Thick-Soled Sneaker in 2017 that the loafer began to evolve once again. Following the rise of the Triple-S and other marmite shoes, loafers either grew to skyscraping heights or received stripped-back makeovers. Martine Rose hacked the heel off her square-toed slip-ons and Margiela gave its tassel editions a running sneaker sole, while Converse Japan revived the skate-ready One Star loafer and Stüssy imagined Dr. Martens’ Penton loafers in tonal faux crocodile. Paul Jeong | HYPEBAE This duality encourage Fall/Winter 2020 Fashion Week attendees from Milan to London to try their hand at tackling loafers. Fashion Week — both the presentations and guests — often represent the first barrier between runway trends and mainstream embrace; seeing the loafer crop up at the FW20 events is a strong implication that a wider loafer movement may be in store. Gilded tassel slippers and loud Gucci slip-ons made appearances, as did Dr. Martens’ Adrian loafer, encompassing both ends of the price spectrum. Here’s where the loafers’ broad appeal comes into play, with tailored italians, scrappy British youths and international jetsetters all incorporating the loafer into their personal style. Loafers are an organic in-between, a stepping stone bridging omnipresent sneakers and more imposing leather shoes. Loafers boast more formality than the former and lace-free comfort over the latter, not to mention additional versatility. With men’s wardrobes expanding to incorporate more formal items — or at least fashion-forward iterations of them — the loafer provides a natural starting point. Despite the silhouette’s inherent versatility, streetwear-leaning men may have traditionally shied away from the loafer for stylistic reasons, or because of their youth. As streetwear grows up, however, consumers do the same. Though many jobs have relaxed their dress codes, the transitioning codes of menswear encourage experimentation, naturally facilitated by the adaptable loafer. [READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON HYPEBEAST →]( [banner](   [More HYPEBEAST Features]( [[How Your Favorite Stores Will Take On Fashion Retail’s Unpredictable Future] [FASHION]( [How Your Favorite Stores Will Take On Fashion Retail’s Unpredictable Future]( [['Parasite's' History-Making Journey From Cannes to the Oscars] [ENTERTAINMENT]( ['Parasite's' History-Making Journey From Cannes to the Oscars]( [Get The App Free on iOS and Android]( Follow --------------------------------------------------------------- 2019 HYPEBEAST Limited. 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