Loafer Update!

Long time readers of this blog will know that I am OBSESSED with penny loafers.

And since coming out as someone who is loafer-obsessed, I have met many other people who have a similar ... enthusiasm. So I thought I'd share links to two styles I've found recently that, although not as nice as my favorite (and no-longer-made) Via Spigas, are pretty damn good.

First, Macy's has these, from Marc Fisher (which I think is one of their house brands, but I'm not sure):




Today they are $39! (They were >$70). Click on the image to visit the Macy's page. I bought a pair of these and they are comfortable, definitely.

Okay, these next ones are man-made materials (aka vegan). Many of you have asked if I knew of non-leather alternatives, and now I do! Plus, they're dirt-cheap: $29.99 at Overstock.com. (click image to visit site)




What I really want are these, from Marc Jacobs:




The worst part is that I already HAVE them -- I found a pair on eBay that weren't anywhere NEAR $260, and bought them. And found that they were the wrong size. (The seller translated a European 38 as "8.5" which it is NOT.) I relisted them on eBay, if you want them.

Of course, even though I wear penny loafers EVERY DAY, I don't really need any more pairs. Why don't I? Because THIS is my penny loafer collection:



(And yes, that is a pair of Liberty Jack Purcells on the edge there.)

Does anyone else wear a slight variation of the same damn shoe every day? (Anyone else who presents as female, I mean, I know most guys basically wear the same shoe every day.) Represent in the comments!

Comments

[the_lazymilliner]

The loafer collection is most impressive, Erin. Are they really lined up like that? And your carpet is so clean! How do you do it?

[Sal]

No, but darn close.

[Julie]

If you can get a pair of Palladium Krakow in your size, do it!! I have a pair that are bright tomato red patent leather and they are my absolute favorites. They seem to be on sale all over but you know what that means for sizes :(

[Allison]

For me, its mary-janes.

[sara jane]

Ditto on the mary-janes.

[QuiteLight]

Um... Actually, I wear the same pair of flats at work every day. Ive even had them resoled. I hate shoe shopping. I only switch to ballet flats when I wear a skirt, which isnt often (COLD office!).Ive been informed by a gay male salesclerk that my disinterest with shoes indicates a defective female gene. I just get bored!

[sarah in nyc]

Well, my father had a dozen pairs of the same shoes, he wore them all in order and polished each pair when he took them off in the evening.I have difficult feet and have found that mens cowboy boots feel better on my feet than most other shoes. So I own the following cow boy boots:one pair black elkskinone pair green lizard with black cowhide shaftsone pair tan foot with red shaftsone pair tan ostridge with turquoise shaftone pair brown suede with light tan shaftsone pair bright red with turquoise shafts and white star appliquesand one pair brown oil tanned leatherI live in New York City. I dont ride horses. But I do walk and they are great boots for walking.

[Trudy Callan]

Wow! Thats quite a collection!www.sewingwithtrudy.blogspot.com

[Melissa]

Loafers are awesome because they look equally appropriate with trousers or skirts. Yes, there are other styles that CAN be worn with both, but most of them look at least SLIGHTLY out of place with one or the other.

[Bex]

Do you count flip flops? :) I wear them as many days as possible.I love those green loafers in your collection!

[Andie]

I have 63 pairs of shoes - and feel I still dont have enough (I dont have the right shade of green for this outfit, nor the right shade of red for that outfit,etc). Theyre (mostly) all different styles. The duplicate styles are in different colors. I would never purchase exactly the same pair of shoes a second time unless the first was worn out and ready to be tossed. :D My husband just recently learned that if he switches shoes each day he doesnt have problems with his feet anymore. Go figure.

[Krista]

I am terribly obsessed with pointy-toed stilettos. I wear them every day - the higher the heel the better. If theyre patent leather, thats a bonus! I do admit to owning running shoes, but I only wear them when I run.

[Mcfilibuster]

I have several styles of shoes that I wear often, but my favorite style is a pair of 70s black platform oxfords. They are amazing, and look excellent with most things I wear. I bought my first pair about 2 years ago. They started to wear out recently, so I went back to the place I bought them, and there were more! In my size! For only 10 dollars! I bought two pairs!Hooray!

[Cindy]

I have the ballet slipper/flat with dress/skirt uniform! I was just thinking about penny loafers! Definitely this fall!! Most impressive collection.

[lucitebox]

Wow! What a collection. I wear Classic Chuck Taylors in whatever color I can get that doesnt look clowny. I buy three pairs of Chucks a season and wear them until they start looking utterly grubby. (And sometimes beyond that point much to my the chagrin of my feet.)Thanks for the photo. Youve driven home a point for me. Im hopelessly SHOE DEPRIVED right now!

[Tom Tuttle from Tacoma]

i love penny loafers but havent owned a pair since school days. if i could wear mens shoes, id be wearing their loafers/topsiders/espadrilles/moccasins every day. theyre made longish and more pointy so they flatter the feet.

[anthrokeight]

I have several pairs of mid-heel, round toed, buckle-and-strap shoes.But my repeated shoe theme isnt style, its color. I have:1 pr. hand-made moccasins with purple beading (they are bespoke!).1 pr. round toed with buckle and strap leather shoes in purple.1 pr. penny loaferish shoes in purple. (fauxfer loafers?)1 pr. velvet, round toed very, very 1940s with ankle strap and rosette shoes in purple.1 pr. pink suede stiletto sling-backed sandals with purple patent heel and trim around the peep toes.1 pr. burgundy-purple winter boots in magical water-and-salt resistant suede.1 pr. sandals with soles made from recycled tires with purple strappy tops.This might be why Erin isnt even friends with the color purple. I got all her violet-love instead.Also, I decided that, when it comes to shoes, purple is a neutral color. That, and if it doesnt go with anything, it must go with everything. I almost never wear black shoes.

[Bec]

Mary Janes for me, too! Theres at least three of us, that means we can start a club, hee.Theres just something so pleasantly secure about having your foot strapped to your shoe.My favorite are a pair of brown leather Camper flats with see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil monkeys embroidered on them. Im sad to report, however, they are not that comfortable. They scrape my heels and have no arch support. But Ive made them more wearable with insoles and sticky patches over the parts that scrape me.That and I have a pair of somewhat plain black mary jane heels that doesnt scrape at all because of the nice leather upper, but does make my pinky toes blister something fierce, even though its only a 2.5 slightly chunky heel.Then theres the pair of beige pleather stilettos with cute button-snap double straps. Love the way these look, cant walk in them. Even though these are also only 2.5 tall. Balancing on a heel that thin is too precarious for my klutzy self.Just bought a pair of gray mary janes with 2 heels. Yeah, now I have mary janes in all the neutral shades on my holy-grail-like search for a pair of cute shoes that doesnt hurt me. Havent worn them out yet. I feel sure footed in them when I tried them on, though, so I have high hopes that they wont land me flat on my face. I hope they wont kill my feet.I would kind of like to try something more colorful, but last time I wore colorful (red) shoes, the color ran all over my foot and made it look like my foot is bleeding. That was horrifying. I want to try the keds mary janes, but that wedge heel looks way too high.

[San Antonio Sue]

I have 8 pairs of New Balance tennies, 2 pair of sandals, and 2 pairs of SAS comfort shoes. However, I work in a Refinery, and, except for the sandals, which I reserve for dress-up, its all ok for work.

[Sharon]

Quite a collection-and each well loved. Nothing worse for a shoe than to sit unworn in a dark ccorner of the closet-they need to get out and see the world (from the ground up). I like Mary Janes, and almost all my shoes are some form or another of the Mary Jane style, though I would like to get a pair of saddle shoes someday cause you can take girl out of the 60s but you can never take the 60s out of the girl, I guess.

[flea]

I counted at least 20 pairs!Almost all of my shoes are Dansko, mostly stapled clogs. Various styles (mary jane, sandal, boot) and colors (okay, mostly black). But I dont have anywhere near 20 pairs!

[Anonymous]

Pointy-toed high heels all week at work, espadrilles on the weekend except in winter when I switch the weekend shoes to riding boots.I keep a pair of running shoes in my trunk, though, in case of true emergencies.

[N2]

Chuck Taylors, nearly every day, with every thing. I love them with nice trousers. The only concession I have made with age is the addition of good insoles with each one.

[Marjie]

Open toed slides. 2 or 3 heel. At least a dozen colors and/or textures. 3-1/2 heel pumps. Another dozen colors. Ballerina flats. 4 different textures in black, plus several other colors. No need for anything else. A lady in a skirt never runs, after all (just as, to quote my granny, a lady never goes grey, she goes blonde).

[angldst]

well, I live in combat boots, new rocks, tanker boots (all variations of black stompy boots)For dress up, the majority of my Pretty Shoes are platform soled, narrow heeled, with ankle straps. Ankle straps are the big uniting theme amongst my several pairs of Pretty Shoes. -d