The loafer was the unsung hero of the year

Many a shoe has graced our horizons in 2022 – from those gorgeous platform Versace heels that inspired all heels to rise up (literally) to the wader boots that dominated Chanel and ACNE Studios runways.

 

 

However, there’s another shoe making huge strides in the fashion world, and it’s one that anyone who nods approvingly at a shoe focused on comfort will undoubtedly be excited about.

Loafer season is upon us, and whether you’ve been rocking this footgear for decades or have credited it as a shoe style only your grandfather would dabble in, the loafer is making moves, bringing a classy lexicon back to smart and casual fashion.

Now if you’re sceptical about where the loafer fits into fashion culture at large today, you might want to rethink what present trends are inspired by – relics from the past, making the uncool the epitome of its opposite, and thrift culture.

Enough signalling for the revival of retro is evident in most of the current trends, which have been working overtime trying (and prevailing) in bringing banished favourites back to the future. Think the comeback of flare pants, the paper boy hat (a tribute to Y2K fashion) and of course the go-go boots.

When it comes to our shoe picks, sneaker culture has dominated most of the late 2010s and early 2020s (one needs only to look at Nike’s dominance over the sneaker world raking in almost R500 billion last year to confirm this).

However, many are looking to broaden their footwear spectrums, especially in the last two years.

Cue the unlikely shoes

Last year, Crocs were the talk of the shoe world after rising in popularity drastically following almost a decade of being dubbed the ugly step-sister of shoes since their prominence in the late 2000s.

Of the Crocs moment, I once wrote that the takeaway from Crocs’ rise was due to two reasons; fashion that cares too much about what others think is overrated in today’s gaze, and fun-loving freedom is back.

Now, the loafer will set the stage. Although a far cry from the ugly shoe domain (the loafer and its cousins, Mocassins have long been associated with class and cultural icon status after their rise to popularity in the 1930s) the loafer has often earned its association with being an “archaic shoe”.

However, as Bubblegum Club aptly expresses, “it makes sense that anything BUT the loafer would be the shoe form of the year. Yet, like a dark horse, it is.”

The signal that any rare animal of a trend is becoming popularised usually comes from two spaces – social media, fashion icons, or those who implore both.

Someone who employs the last point, is Kendal Jenner. Her styling of the loafer was enough for Vogue to pin that loafer season is here.

Who else is bringing the shoe back?

Hailey Bieber and Bella Hadid have both been spotted wearing the iconic shoe, and luxury labels have also brought the loafer back into their collections, including Prada and Bottega Veneta.

 

Many of these shoe styles have integrated a platform kick to them, an ode to this year’s favourite footwear rendition.

So, if you’re looking for a slip-on that can work itself into any outfit seamlessly, the loafer awaits like a breath of fresh air for your feet.

You can grab a pair of slow-made and sustainable loafers from local businesses like amble.

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FEATURE IMAGE: Pinterest/@champagneandsavings