19 Luxury Loafer Brands Making The Highest Quality Slip-Ons
Premium materials, brand cachet, exquisite craftsmanship - these are the shoemakers producing the highest quality luxury loafers on the market.
For anyone who lives to loaf, a pair of loafers is the ultimate footwear choice. Dapper and dandy, preppy or sleazy, loafers are chameleon shoes that can work with everything from a pair of light-wash denim to your finest tailoring.
The slip-on style is more casual than Oxfords and Derbies but it’s still at that end of the smart-casual spectrum. What makes them different is a rakish, flamboyant quality: you can wear them to the office if you want to, but these are fun shoes. Dancing shoes. Posing shoes. Shoes that don’t necessarily need socks.
In preppy uniforms, they pair with collegiate jackets as well as button-down shirts. Suede options work with shorts in the summer. Chunky, dual-color loafers bring a little Latino flair to your tailoring or also work with jeans.
A pair of luxury loafers are genuine statement shoes. It was the famous horsebit design that catapulted Gucci to its lofty position as the don of Italian luxury. And penny or tassel loafers are naturally head-turning designs. When they’re made from the finest leathers and suede, the quality is visible to the naked eye. And these are the shoemakers that have perfected the slip-on.
What to look for when buying luxury loafers
Material
Velasca
Luxury loafers should be crafted from the finest leathers. They’ll come in different finishes, from suede to cross-grain leather, smooth calf leather to eye-catching croc-effect styles.
If you’re paying luxury prices, make sure you’re getting a luxury material. The label should have detailed information about the leather’s provenance so you know it’s both high-quality and sustainably sourced.
The brand should also provide care instructions, with the details depending on the type of leather you’ve bought. If you’re spending this much on a pair of loafers, you need to feel confident they’ll last.
Craftsmanship
Crockett & Jones
The best luxury loafer brands not only pride themselves on their craftsmanship, they’ll tell you all about it. At length. That’s a good thing of course.
Expect handmade shoes, built methodically using techniques passed down through the generations. Made-in-Italy and made-in-England shoemakers will often boast Goodyear-welted construction, hand-stitching and full internal leather linings. All of which ensure maximum longevity for your loafers.
Brand cachet
Duke and Dexter
Wearing a pair of Gucci loafers is a near-textbook definition of statement dressing, but a lot of loafer styles are not overtly branded. Some of the names on the list below, however, produce loafers with distinctive monogram prints that demand to be seen.
Others are so obviously well-made that they will send out stealth wealth signals, which practically guarantees you’ll be asked about them often. In a lot of ways this is even better.
Silhouette
Velasca
Penny loafers, horsebit loafers, fringe and tassel loafers – that is the question. The penny style is the most reserved, elegant and wearable. The others offer three variations of ostentatious footwear.
The tassel, the fringe and the horsebit are completely functionless. Their only purpose is to mark you out as a dandy. Dual-color penny loafers are also trending right now, the leather panels usually split into white and one other color. It’s a more casual style that works well with wide-legged pants and a Cuban collar shirt.
One final mention: slipper-style loafers are also an option. They come backless or with sheepskin linings and look like they’re designed for men who wear jacquard monogrammed smoking jackets around their mansions. But they’re there if you want them.
Men’s luxury loafer brands that are worth the money
Velasca
Offering a comprehensive range of penny, tassel and horsebit loafers, Italian label Velasca does made-in-Italy menswear at cheaper prices than most. It sells direct to the consumer, cutting out the middlemen and unseen costs.
The company was only founded in 2013 but the style is classic: elegant and effortless as only the Italians know how. Look for chocolate-brown suede pennies for everyday wear or super-soft and super-shiny tassel loafers to make your tuxedo a little more playful.
Aurelien
Mediterranean luxury at a fair and accessible price is the MO at Aurelien. It boasts a whopping collection of summer-friendly loafers, crafted not just from soft suede but linen, too.
The focus on high-quality natural materials extends to bamboo linings and rubber soles inspired by deck shoes. These are elegant shoes made for jetties and jet-set lifestyles, but they’re practical too.
In terms of style, the Mediterranean theme continues with stripped-back, lighter tones that pair perfectly with chinos and shorts alike.
Gucci
The original and, some would say, the best luxury loafer brand, Gucci needs no introduction. The label’s famous loafers seamlessly blend both old-school glamour Gucci and envelope-pushing experimentalist Gucci.
It’s the signature horsebit loafers that everybody thinks of first, and fair enough. The style celebrated its 70th birthday in 2023 and it comes in an astonishing array of options. But the label also does tassels, buckles, monogram prints and modern maximalist loafers, too.
Minimalism is about the only thing Gucci doesn’t do.
Bally
Founded in the mid-1800s, Bally is one of the world’s OG luxury shoe brands. Its focus on craft and refinement extends to this day, with a loafer collection that oozes sophistication.
The Swiss label does luxury loafers in practically every style, with a distinctive low profile and dependably excellent hides. Choose from gross-grain deer leather, smooth goat leather and more – even a pair of actual silk slippers if you’ve got the ankles for them.
Celine Homme
French luxury label Celine has roots in midcentury elegance, so it’s little wonder the brand does a distinctive line of loafers.
Currently under the creative direction of a menswear uber-influencer, the designer Hedi Slimane, you can see his stamp in the label’s slip-on collection, with chunky commando soles and 70s-style loafers with gold link chains where a horsebit detail might usually sit.
Proof that even a leather slip-on can be rock ‘n’ roll.
Prada
Like a lot of historic luxury labels, Prada today swings between classic designs that honor its century-long history, and avant-garde fashion statements that prove it’s still pushing boundaries.
Its collection of luxury loafers is a case in point. In one corner you have classic black penny styles in brushed leather. In the other, you’ll find loafers in the label’s bold Monolith line, referencing sci-fi and cyberpunk with platform commando soles and an all-white design. Both, in their own way, are very, very Prada.
Crockett & Jones
By their own admission, loafers are the most casual shoe to get the Goodyear-welted treatment at historic British shoemaker Crockett & Jones. They’re still fabulously well-made, of course, with the brand’s craftsmanship passed down since the 1800s.
It’s also a company that likes its loafers: there are dozens of styles to pick from and as well as choosing between suede or leather, penny or tassel, you can also read up on the shoes’ lasts – the foot-shape models that shoemakers use to determine the silhouette and proportions of their shoes.
Hermes
It’s a name that’s synonymous with luxury leather goods, so of course Hermes does a line of excellent loafers. It’s another classic-but-baller brand, with proud logos emblems and design touches adorning its range. Who needs a horsebit loafer when you can have one with a chunky metallic buckle or a braided leather cord instead?
The leathers really are superlative, from grained calfskin to brushed suede goatskin that you could wrap a newborn in. And style-wise, the label is a little bit throwback with 70s-referencing narrow styles alongside more traditional loafers.
Our Legacy
One of the pioneering Scandi labels that pushed minimalistic menswear in the last 15 years, Our Legacy has been tiptoeing into more grungy territory in recent seasons.
Its loafers are a telltale sign of the design direction. Even on standard all-black designs, you’ll find maximalist touches like fringed tongues, chunky fringes and stacked heels.
Made with Goodyear-welted Vibram soles, they’re also as practical as they are eye-catching.
Cheaney
One of the most acclaimed made-in-England shoemakers, Cheaney has operated out of the same Northamptonshire factory since the late 1800s. There, it produces an extensive collection of Goodyear-welted penny loafers, with a classic-leaning collection rounded out with a few tassel styles and suede loafers finished in bold red or green hues.
Traditionally, leather loafers were the ‘smart’ ones and suede loafers were the ‘casual’ ones. Cheaney’s range shows how outdated that is, with both styles made to such exacting standards that you could wear them all (OK, most) with jeans, chinos or tailored trousers.
Dior
For a dark, masculine take on luxury loafers, check out Dior’s offering. The label, under the creative direction of Kim Jones, carries a certain weight, even when we’re talking about dainty slip-on shoes.
Dior loafers are almost all black, stoutly designed with shiny patent leather and embellished with chunky buckles or monogram patterns. Think rock stars and flamboyantly dressed vampires.
Duke and Dexter
Statement designs with chunky proportions or a throwback colorway gives Duke and Dexter’s loafers a retro feel, but they couldn’t be much more modern.
You’ll spot the British brand’s footwear adorning many a trendy Londoner’s toes, often worn with open shirts, vests and tailored pants. If the lounge lizard thing is your look, this is the brand for you.
Where else are you going to find loafers adorned with prints from Playboy or illustrations of vipers and scorpions?
Versace
Few luxury labels are as proudly ostentatious as Versace. The Italian brand is renowned for its in-your-face logos, Medusa emblems and baroque prints. You’ll find all those things on its loafers and slippers, and much more besides.
If you want to turn up wearing slip-ons adorned with crystals arranged in a crocodile-skin pattern, then it’s Versace that you want to visit.
Dolce and Gabbana
Never knowingly unfabulous, Dolce and Gabbana is another luxury label that eschews conservative loafers for more out-there designs. Patchwork denim loafers? Yes indeed. Chunky loafers with commando loafers and gigantic buckles? Certainly. Satin embroidered slippers? But of course.
The Italian label is proud of its peacocking style. As long as you’re not going for subtlety, you’ll find something for you.
Grenson
Grenson mixes traditional craft and a contemporary approach to design that makes its loafers a little more modern than some of the other Northamptonshire shoemakers.
So alongside the timeless penny styles in black leather or brown suede, you’ll find trendy styles that introduce a commando sole or two-tone colorway.
You can still expect handcrafted finishing and Goodyear-welted construction, too.
Church’s
Traditional, meticulous and very, very handsome, Church’s shoes are renowned the world over. The loafer collection is uncomplicated: city-slicker penny styles that bridge the gap between work and leisure.
Goodyear construction comes as standard but you’ll find modern touches, like rubber soles designed to keep you comfortable on your feet.
It’s part of the Prada Group today, but Church’s history dates back to 1870s Northamptonshire, from where the brand’s know-how and DNA were passed down.
G.H.Bass
One of the brands that can genuinely lay claim to creating the first loafers, G.H.Bass has produced its famous Weejuns loafers since 1936. Adapted from a type of Norwegian farm shoe, the Weejun became a staple of American college style and preppy uniforms.
Today, the styles take in dozens of variations and not just in the color of the leather and suede. You’ll find zebra prints, vegan leathers, collaborations with myriad other labels and more. A bona fide icon of menswear.
Tod’s
It’s most famous for its driving shoes, but Tod’s loafers have a lot in common with its signature style. There’s sartorial Italian elegance in every fiber of its shoes: fairly minimalist in design but eye-catching nonetheless.
The loafer collection is huge: at the time of writing the label was selling 61 varieties, from jute-soled suede pennies to chunky styles on stacked soles. Somewhere in the middle is Tod’s bread and butter – classic, narrow loafers that make you feel like Marcello Mastroianni, even if you’re just heading to the office.
Loake
If affordable luxury is what you need, Loake is one of the most accessible brands in the stable of historic Northamptonshire shoemakers.
Smart-casual, collegiate penny loafers make up a sizeable portion of the offering, although Loake also does more dandy styles, including suede tassel styles.
Despite the affordable price tags, you’re still getting handmade shoes, Goodyear-welted construction and first-rate aftercare. Like a lot of the Northamptonshire set, the brand’s repair service will ensure your loafers are timeless in more ways than one.
