A Guide to Men’s Loafers Shoes

In the earliest recorded history of men's loafers, not much can be learned from the ancient Greeks. Loafers supposedly evolved from 'slippers' as worn by rural people in the South of France. In this village up until Louis XIV's reign, women wore heels and men wore mules or wooden clogs that looked more like work boots than anything one would wear indoors.

Loafers are the quintessential casual shoe. Like many seemingly utilitarian items, they seem to be little more than a shortcut for putting your feet on the ground. There is nothing fashionable or desirable about loafers from the outside. They serve no utility beyond that of simple cheap shoes. But the designer John Fluevog has managed to make loafers into a status item by treating the simple pattern as art and making them as trendy and desirable as possible.

Basically, Loafers can be broken down into two categories: slip-ons and strap/buckle. In a slip-on you wear the shoe by pulling your foot through the top opening until the heel is within and you can slide your foot out. The absence of the strap across the top means that they -in theory at least- give you greater freedom to move your feet about, while still retaining a nice smart appearance.

Types of loafers:-

Penny loafers:-  Penny loafers are a famous kind of men's shoes. They are associated with Wall Street and Ivy League bankers because you used to get them for free as a gift when you made a deposit at the bank. 

Penny loafers are men's dress shoes with rounded, two-toned leather uppers. They have no laces, and the tongues and sides of the shoes stretch like canvas running shoes. On a penny loafer the uppers are made by gluing two pieces of leather together to form the topline. The outsole is made from a poor man's version of the vulcanized rubber sole used on dress shoes: cemented instead of thread-bound.

Tassel loafers:- Tassel loafers have been men's favorites for a hundred years. The tassels come off as frivolous, but that's an illusion. The tassels are there to keep the front flap from flapping open when you walk, making a tasseled shoe almost as good to wear as a slip-on. This is important because if you're walking, you're doing something, and you do not want to have to stop and tie your shoes every time you decide to move. 

These loafers can be worn with formal and semi-formal outfits such as suits, trousers, jeans, chinos and shorts. The tassels make these loafers slightly more elegant than other types of loafers.

Horsebit loafers:-   Men's loafers are oxfords with open lacing. They're distinguished from regular oxfords by the addition of a decorative metal piece at either side of the toe. This is called a "horse bit," and it serves the same purpose as an ornamented heel on a dress shoe: it adds a bit of extra flash. How you wear men's loafers determines whether they will be taken seriously or considered just a bit of frivolity.

Slipper Loafers:-  Slipper is the name of a classic men's design where the shoe can be slipped on and off easily, like a house shoe. The name "loafer" is actually never used in the United States but only in foreign countries, where it has become synonymous with a moccasin-type house shoe or slipper. In North America, such shoes are called "moccasins," which are Native American styles similar to the slipper but usually larger and heavier.

Checkout the trendy pair of shiny patent leather loafers by Barker. You can wear them with a collared shirt, jeans, and thin socks in the summer.

Author bio:- Noah Smith is a creative person who has been writing blogs and articles about men's shoes. He writes about the latest designs like trendy loafers, Chelsea boots, oxfords, etc. His articles have been published in many popular e-magazines, blogs, and websites.