- Best Loafers#1
G.H.Bass Larson Weejuns
The Bass Weejun is the penny loafer that made penny loafers feel almost inevitable. It is preppy, yes, but its range is wider than that: jeans, chinos, shorts, suits that have been properly relaxed. The break-in can be brisk, but the reward is a shoe with real cultural memory and little preciousness. Wear them with socks and confidence. The Weejun is not the most refined loafer, but it may still be the one by which the category explains itself.
- #2
Alden 986 Cordovan Penny Loafer
Alden’s 986 is the serious American loafer: shell cordovan, handsewn shape and enough weight to make lighter loafers feel temporary. It is expensive in the way good shoes used to be expensive — because the materials, construction and repairability are doing real work. The shoe has Ivy pedigree but does not need to stay on campus. With grey trousers, denim or a navy jacket, it brings polish without gloss. A loafer for people who intend to keep things.
- #3
Meermin Classic Penny Loafer
Meermin’s penny loafer is the value proposition for men ready to move beyond disposable dress shoes. The shape is handsome, the leather options are serious and the price remains relatively approachable for Goodyear-welted footwear. It lacks the myth of Alden and the pop-cultural familiarity of Bass, but it offers a sharper object for the money. The loafer is best when worn often, not saved. Meermin makes that habit easier to start.