Few footwear styles have withstood the fickle trends of fashion like the penny loafer. The classic design dates all the way back to 1930 when the Norwegian shoemaker, Nils Gregoriusson Tveranger, first introduced the silhouette after being inspired by the moccasins of the Iroquois. Worn religiously by men fishing along the Norwegian fjords, the slip-on style was the perfect balance between comfort, simplicity, and functionality. Eventually, demand for the shoe began to grow throughout Europe and America, and, not so long after, the Spaulding family of New Hampshire introduced their own slip-on style dubbed the “Loafer.”
But it wasn’t until GH Bass released his own take on the loafer he called the “Weejun”—a nod to its Norwegian origins—that the loafer really took off. Unlike earlier iterations, the Weejun featured a simple strap stitched across the saddle of the shoes with the slightest crescent-shaped cutout. At the time, it cost just two cents to use a payphone, and it just so happened that the loafers’ cutouts were the perfect size for carrying two pennies. It was this small detail that would give the iconic shoe its “penny loafer” moniker and propel it into the mainstream and onto the feet of everyone from Ivy Leaguers to punk rockers to Wall Street power players.
For Fall ‘18, we introduce our own take on the classic penny loafer: the Idris Suede Loafer. The winter-ready style eschews the typical leather sole in favor of a chunky TPU lug sole and comes with a 100% suede upper in three rich shades: black, cobalt and light plum.■
