The 7 Best Loafers for Men, Tested by Style Experts

We’ve tested countless loafers over the past two years, but the OG loafer maker still reigns supreme for its eternally sharp style, high quality leather, and unmatched value. Having been around since 1936, the Larson Weejun is the ultimate penny loafer that still looks great today. That being said, its durable leather upper does have a break-in period, and may feel a bit stiff the first few wears. But trust us: it gets cozier eventually, and Stafford says its fabric takes on a beautiful patina that only looks better with time.

We also like the leather footbed, which offers decent arch support and kept our dogs in good shape after a long day at the office. Its grippy rubber sole hasn’t changed much since its first iteration, and why would it? It’s incredibly durable and does a bang-up job of preventing slippage. Style-wise, Stafford says the elegant stitching around the toe box can dress up any fit. He thinks the Weejun looks just as great with faded jeans as it does with a great summer suit. And lest we forget to talk about the price: it costs less than half as much as other designer leather loafers, yet is just as stylish.

Read more: Best Dress Shoes for Men

Ecco’s penny loafer is handsome enough, with a classic leather upper, contrast stitching around the toe box, and a slightly chunkier heel for a modern yet timeless vibe. Available in four styles, Ecco’s gray colorway plays especially well with most of our office and smart casual fits.

But what sets it apart from the rest of the pack is its memory foam midsole–which the brand calls its Fluidform technology–that adapts to the shape of your foot. In our experience, this made the Ecco Metropole far and away the most comfortable shoe on the list, and we found that its adaptive footbed has become even cozier the longer we wore it. One tester wore this for a week at the office, and says that it is easily the most cushioned dress shoes he’s worn.

Read more: Most Comfortable Dress Shoes for Men

Suitsupply, one of our go-to clothing brands, knows how to spin classic menswear pieces into modern staples. Take its suede penny loafer, which is a bit more casual than the OG Weejun, but still delivers plenty of style thanks to its slim silhouette and slightly pointer toe box that looks super classy. Stafford loves its contrast stitching that outlines the upper, which adds a layer of visual interest. In fact, we’ve worn this with a linen suit at summer weddings, and a wool jacket in the fall, and found that it looked just as great in both seasons. “It offers so much versatility, and is just a really unique, dressy loafer,” Stafford says.

That being said, we did find that the suede footbed didn’t offer as much support as other loafers on this list, but the Goodyear welt sole was very durable. And for a suede shoe, Suitsupply’s loafer is pretty soft, but still sturdy. That means it’s comfortable enough to wear everyday, and is built to last.

Stafford calls Astorflex’s bestselling loafer a dressed-up Espadrille, and it’s easy to see why. It’s got a smooth leather upper with barely any visible stitching for an easy, breezy vibe. We found that it looks great with beachside fits (think: Hawaiian shirts, board shorts, and camp shirts). That being said, its sleek moc toe is much dressier than your typical summer slip-on shoe, and can play well with even smart-casual looks.

Performance wise, the Pantoflex is cozy enough, with a somewhat cushioned footbed that can keep your feet comfortable for short walks on the beach. We like the leather liner, which kept our feet from feeling swamp even when we weren’t wearing socks. However, the rubber heel isn’t the most grippy option in our roundup, but we think it did a decent enough job at prevent slipping.

Read more: Best Casual Shoes for Men

If you want a casual slip-on that’s way dressier than your typical summer shoe, we recommend this Atticus loafer from Clarks. Yes, it has the silhouette of a traditional loafer, but it’s made with a lightweight suede upper that really does move with you like a second skin. Its foam midsole and breathable upper kept our dogs cool and comfortable during our hot weather errands. “Clarks takes its casual cool heritage and brings it to a dressy loafer,” says Stafford. The result is an everyday shoe that works with just about every casual fit. Based on our extensive testing of this shoe, we found that it plays best with bright summer staples like camp collar shirts and linen shorts, though it might be too laidback to pull off with a suit.

Another bonus: suede is notoriously difficult to clean, but we found that wasn’t the case with the Atticus. That’s probably because its upper is infused with a stain-resistant layer, so you know it can take a few spills and party fouls. One editor has taken this bad body for a spin during happy hour, and found that it looked as good as new the next day.

Chunky loafers are roaring back in style, but most of the ones we tried are way too heavy to actually wear regularly. Not so with Cole Haan’s penny loafer. Yes, it looks thick, with a big, grippy outsole. But after testing it for a week, we found that it is actually as light as the Suitsupply Penny Loafer. We shouldn’t be so surprised. After all, Cole Haan has mastered the art of infusing classic dress shoes with performance features. Just like the rest of the brand’s hybrid kicks, this one has a great EVA foam footbed that provides ample cushion and arch support that’s the best in its class.

Looks-wise, Stafford loves the burnished furnish, which he says looks great with jeans, chinos, and even dressier fits. In other words, you’ve got lean, mean dress shoe that looks as great as it performs.

You don’t have to spend a fortune for a quality pair of loafers. Take this one from Florsheim, which is the cheapest option on our list, but easily punches well about its price point, thanks to its quality construction and cozier-than-expected footbed. We especially like the soft-but-sturdy suede upper, which Statfford describes as a “casual cool” vibe that looks great with your everyday fits. Under the hood is an Eva footbed that provides decent cushion and arch support, but is removable, in case you wanted to swap in a more supportive insole.

We especially like the rubber outsole, which has a series of divots in the middle for extra traction. Is it the most comfortable, stylish, or supportive option on our list? No, but it performs well enough in all three categories, and provides exceptional value for this price point.

What Else to Consider

Size and fit

“You want to avoid too much ‘heel slip’ when you wear them, which is the amount of friction between your heel and the back of the shoe,” says Nordstrom Men’s Fashion Director, Jian DeLeon. In addition, he suggests that loafers should fit snug, not tight, so you should be aware of how much space you have in the toe box. Men’s personal stylist Patrick Kenger recommends sizing down a touch because once they stretch, they cannot be tightened.

Upper material

The most common materials for loafer’s upper is leather and suede. Style-wise, menswear influencer Brock McGoff believes that suede is more unique but has higher maintenance, whereas leather is timeless and easy to care for. Comfort-wise, leather and suede break in much differently, according to DeLeon, “with the latter being more comfortable from the first wear, but with leather developing more of an interesting patina over time.”

Construction

Goodyear welted construction is highly recommended for loafers, since it is the build that for sure will last. In addition, personal stylist Turner Allen calls Goodyear “a sustainable approach that ensures the longevity of your favorite loafers” because it allows for easy sole replacement so you don’t have to discard perfectly good loafers just because their soles are worn-out.

What Are the Different Types of Loafers?

Penny loafer:

perhaps the most popular loafer style, the penny loafer was made by G.H. Bass in the 1930s with an added strip of leather across the upper. The leather strip features a small diamond cutout slit.

Tassel loafer:

Featuring decorative tassels at the front of the upper, these loafers originated from Brooks Brothers and are meant for dressing up—such as at cocktail parties, red carpets, and stays at five-star hotels.

Driving/mocassin loafer:

Having gained popularity in recent years, this type of loafer uses a moccasin upper and a rubber sole. Designed for driving, it offers superior grip and flexibility.

Venetian loafer: they are the most plain-looking loafer type—no strip, strap, tassel, metal, or any other ornament at the upper. Just plain leather which can be super versatile. As slip-ons, they’re also very easy and comfortable to sport.

Horsebit loafer: adorned with a shiny horse-bit-style metal link at the front upper, this type of loafer was the first loafer to bring “loafer” to the class of dressy, formal wear, in lieu of just being casual footwear.

Which Brands Make the Best Loafers for Men?

Many brands have carved a niche for themselves in the world of men’s loafers, so the options are aplenty. G.H. Bass’ OG loafers and Allen Edmond’s performance loafers combine timeless design with reliable comfort. Household footwear brands like Cole Haan and Clarks make everyday-style loafers with everyday comfort to match. Then we have newcomers like Rothy’s, Astorflex, and Amberjack whose loafers are versatile, durable, and so easy to wear every single day. And those best-sellers from popular shoemakers you see online like Florsheim, Bruno Marc, and Rockport deliver designs that’ll never be out of style and performance on the go.

In short, brands that make the best dress shoes also make the best loafers since they consistently deliver on style, comfort, and craftsmanship.

How to Style Loafers for Men?

The reality nowadays is that loafers indeed look great with anything, any fit, as long as you’ve got the right one. “I would style loafers with just about anything. They can be an easy alternative to clean, minimal sneakers for casual outfits (even with denim!) or even a good replacement for your lace-up dress shoes when wearing them with suits (especially in the warmer months),” says men’s style influencer Brian Chan.

For instance, McGoff suggests dressing them down with shorts and a camp collar shirt for summer, or wearing them with a suit—but with a polo shirt instead of a dress shirt and tie—for business casual. Personal stylist Stephanie Gisondi-Little believes that wearing loafers without socks makes a classic spring/summer look, especially when paired with a slightly cropped khaki or cuffed denim. For an everyday look, wearing loafers with relaxed shirting and denim or chino pants is foolproof.

All in all, when it comes to styling with loafers, it’s about interlaying the casualness of the shoes with the formal flair of the rest of your fits to create a sharp, dynamic look.

How We Selected

To find the best loafers for men, our editors and writers have personally tried on and tested a variety of styles, such as attending casual weekend hang-outs in Astorflex’s Patnoflex Loafer, sporting G.H. Bass’ penny loafers to a formal event, or commuting in and wearing Amberjack’s loafers to the office.

Then, our testing editors narrowed the selection by evaluating these loafers based on their style, comfort, price point, and versatility. We also considered tested recommendations of loafers from style experts such as stylists and fashion influencers.

In addition, our selection focuses not on trendy or trend-chasing shoes; instead, our picks of the best loafers for men all fit great athletic guys, provide great value and performance at reasonable price points, and come in styles that will look great years from now.

Read more: Learn How Men’s Health Tests Products