“Men’s loafers have been rising in popularity for some time now,” says Queralt Ferrer, John Lewis’s director of design. “They are the perfect accessory to style and smarten up a daytime look and they’re also a great option to modernise and relax more tailored styling. Our John Lewis leather version offers a classic silhouette that feels perfect for this season – they’re also available in suede, giving a feel of quiet luxury.”
The rise in loafers is also arguably down to fashion’s continued preoccupation with the original Sloane Ranger wardrobe, as exemplified by Diana, Princess of Wales who teamed her Tod’s loafers with Gucci handbags and gym gear in the 1990s, and former cavalry officer James Hewitt in his capacious Naval blazers, high-waist chinos and suede loafers.
“Snaffle loafers still work as well as they did back in the 1980s and 1990s, partly because they emulate the original Sloane Ranger look whilst also subverting it,” says stylist and horsebit loafer devotee Tom Stubbs. “Instead, they’re a luxury tongue-in-cheek style statement. A fine blake-soled loafer with a horsebit mounted on the vamp is showy and obtuse, which is exactly what they’re meant to be.”
Snaffle loafers have recently been adopted by a host of leading men in their day-to-day looks. There’s Mescal, of course, who is regularly photographed sporting his while popping to the shops. Ronson recently wore black Gucci horsebit loafers with chunky grey tube socks for an appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s talk show.
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