chiefly US : a shoe without laces that has a strap with a slit that a penny can fit into on the top of the shoe.
What makes a loafer a penny loafer?
These Loafers feature a saddle with a cut-out piece in the shape of a diamond. By the 1950s they were really popular amongst the Ivy League students who coined the term. The legend goes students were trying to make a fashion statement by putting a penny in the cut-out piece of the saddle, hence the name Penny Loafer.
What is the origin of the penny loafer?
Back in the 1930s, the pay phone in the phone booth cost a paltry two cents. The new loafer design allowed just enough space for a penny in each shoe, equaling the cost of an emergency phone call. Thus, the penny and the loafer were united.
Do you wear socks with penny loafers?
By design, loafers are more casual than their laced-up dress-shoe counterparts. Throwing socks into the mix can undermine that. And particularly informal takes—a penny loafer, a driver or a boat shoe—arguably look better without socks. But if you’re going to bravely go sockless, you should at least commit all the way.
Should you put a penny in penny loafers?
When penny loafers were first introduced in the 1930s, adding a penny also served a functional purpose in addition to decoration. At the time, before pay phones cost a quarter, pennies in shoes could be used for emergency calls home.
Should I wear socks with penny loafers?
Which socks to wear with loafers?
In most business and professional environments, it isn’t appropriate to show your bare ankle. In these instances, you’ll always want to pair your loafers with dress socks. Loafers are designed to fit snuggly, so dress socks will be thin enough to comfortably fit while also tying together your look.
What did the penny loafers used to be called?
They added a strap of leather across the upper vamp (referred to as a “saddle”) and sold them as casual house shoes. They called them “Weejuns” (to sound like “Norwegian”), and the term is still copyrighted by Bass today.
Why are penny loafers so uncomfortable to wear?
A high instep describes a foot in which the instep has a protrusion of some sort. This makes fitting certain shoe lasts uncomfortable. As loafers have little give, someone with a high instep will often have trouble wearing these comfortably. The saddle of a penny loafer simply applies more pressure on the instep, exacerbating the problem.
What kind of shoes do you wear with a penny loafer?
Slip-ons tend to be preferred by businessmen because they can be worn more easily with suits due to their dressier nature. A penny slip-on is simply a slip-on shoe with a penny keeper sewn onto the vamp. Granted, “penny slip-on” isn’t an industry-wide term, but it’s a distinction that’s worth making.
What does high instep mean on penny loafers?
As it relates to penny loafers (or any laceless shoe that doesn’t use elastic in its construction), those with a high instep may have issues. A high instep describes a foot in which the instep has a protrusion of some sort. This makes fitting certain shoe lasts uncomfortable.
