Building the Foundation of Your Work Wardrobe: Loafers

Starting from the Bottom with Classic Loafers

With the overall work culture constantly making small shifts toward a more casual style, the classic loafer is a staple wardrobe item that easily allows you to transition from professional to business casual attire. With proper care and storage, a good pair of loafers can last for decades.

My Loafer Love Story

Like many undergraduate finance majors, I was laser-focused on one major goal: getting an investment banking internship that would lead to a full-time job opportunity when I graduated. I was lucky to get an internship during my sophomore year and then another one during my junior year, which was followed by a full-time offer.For committing to the full-time position early, I was awarded a sign-on bonus. Through the grapevine of typical internship gossip, I found out that some of my colleagues had decided to spend their bonus on loafers, Gucci loafers to be exact. If you are familiar with any of finance memes, you may recall the hold that the Gucci loafers had on millennials working in the corporate world. At that time, I knew I would need to “upgrade” my work wardrobe for the corporate world. However, my finance knowledge kicked in and I could not justify spending hundreds of dollars on shoes, yet. Through online shopping, I discovered Cole Haan, found a discount code, and purchased my first pair of loafers.

I instantly fell in love with loafers! They are comfortable, casual, and professional, all at the same time. I was obsessed! I wore these shoes every day for about a year. I had worn down the material at the front of the shoes to a point that was beyond repair. When the pandemic turned everything remote, I was able to put the search for a replacement on hold until I had to return to the office. When that time came, I inherently knew that this was the best time to invest in a good pair of loafers. After spending a lot of time in the corporate world I noticed that when women weren’t wearing heels, they were wearing loafers. Also, loafers were a great option to dress up a casual outfit while I wasn’t at work. Loafers were an item that I could wear in my personal and professional life that made me look put together while being comfortable. I spent weeks researching and thinking through what kind of brand I wanted to support by wearing their shoes. I finally decided to go with a classic brand and shoe: the Ferragamo Gancini Moccasin with interchangeable gold and silver hardware.

The History of the Loafer

Fun Fact: Loafers date back to the mid-nineteenth century and originated in farming and fishing villages in Norway.

Now for a little history of the loafer. The history of the loafer is discussed in detail in Grailed. The shoe first was spotted in Norway in the mid-nineteenth century in some fishing villages and was described as leather slip-ons called Tesers. One Norweigan, Nils Gregoriusson Tveranger, sought to improve the shoe and moved to the US to study cobbling. A couple years later, Tveranger unveiled a shoe that combined the traditional characteristics of the teser and the moccasin, a Native American shoe, and it quickly began to gain traction in the decades to follow.

The History of Ferragamo

Why did I choose Ferragamo? Ferragamo is almost a one-hundred-year-old company with strong roots in women’s footwear. The company was first incorporated in Florence in 1927 by Salvatore Ferragamo, focusing on the study, creation, manufacturing, and sale of ladies' footwear. The company found quick success and subsequently opened its first US location in New York in 1948. Ferragamo has been extremely successful and was listed on Milan Stock Exchange in 2011. It is a timeless brand in fashion and has dressed the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Princess Diana. The brand has always prioritized comfort at the core of its designs. This was an important factor in my attraction to the brand. I believe comfortable footwear allows one to focus on other aspects of their professional brand instead of being distracted. I also liked the craftsmanship and high quality of the materials. I knew I wanted to invest my money in shoes I could keep forever.

The Gancini Moccasin

There are several reasons why I highly recommend this shoe:

Price: At first, the price might induce some sticker shock. I acknowledge that this shoe comes at a price ($850) that many do not budget for footwear. However, I do believe that since this shoe will always be a staple in your closet, it is worth the investment. Think about how many trendy shoes you buy every season. With this quality, timeless shoe, you won’t need to buy shoes every season. Furthermore, the brand is undergoing a digital transformation to target younger demographics with affordable pricing and innovative design.
Comfort: The comfort of these shoes is unmatched. One of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I’ve worn, it’s quickly become my favorite shoe. Since its inception, Ferragamo has always made high-quality, stylish, and comfortable shoes, and that is still true to this day.
Timeless: This is a classic style for your wardrobe that avoids fast-fading trends. The shoes have been iterated over time but have always remained a part of the Ferragamo collection.
Interchangeable Hardware: These days, you are either a gold hardware or a silver hardware individual. These shoes allow you to flip the iconic symbol on the front of the shoe to either be gold or silver depending on what else you are wearing that day.
Maintenance: These shoes can be resoled every couple of years for less than $100 at a cobbler.

The Quick Stats:

1cm heel
Made in Italy
Calf leather
Range of colors and styles available
Price: USD 850

Budget Conscious Options

As part of this series, I want to provide budget-conscious alternatives for the higher-ticket items that I recommend. Some budget conscious options that I would recommend as good alternatives include: