Chunkier or slimmer loafers for my first pair?
Hi everyone, I am looking to upgrade my style when it comes to the trousers and shoes I wear. I wanted to get a pair of loafers to be versitle with the variety of trousers I would wear (I.e. wool, jeans, chinos,etc.) and I am going back and forth on the style and type of loafer I should buy. I am thinking a black pair will work with most things, but I was going through and trying to decide between a more chunkier loafer like the Doc Martins penton and a slimmer one like the Allen Edmonds.
I have dress shoes from AE and I like the style and quality but I feel like DM’s chunkier style gives off a more modern and young look while AE feels more trad. I also wonder if the DMs would also work well with a more casual style (jeans) than the AE.
Are my instincts accurate or am I way off? I am 26 I want to dress well without feeling like I’m dressing too old. Would appreciate anyone’s thoughts!
57 Replies
this depends on how you're styling the rest of the outfit as much as anything. The docs worn in a conventional business casual outfit will look out of place.
Is there an in between chunkier loafer that may not look super out of place if worn more traditional
gh bass weejuns?
especially on a lug sole
https://www.blackstockandweber.com/products/the-ellis-penny-loafer-onyx-vibram-1757-lug-sole
Could try these for something more incognito? Lug soles are going to naturally be a bit more casual
I'm actually going through your exact conundrum lol
like chopper said, it entirely depends on your styling and goals.
Loafers are already a casual shoe, so they'll work in a variety of settings, but docs & lug sole loafers have a different vibe that won't be as versatile in different settings.
IMO id grab a slimmer profile and use the styling of the rest of my outfit to move the needle either more business or more casual.
Some visual examples to show how slim & chunky can look in different contexts
Like everyone said it depends on your style. I actually think docs are super versatile for most casual outfits even more so than slim loafers. Do you have any photos of what style you want to be wearing them with?
(I def agree docs are more versatile for casual fits - i think they struggle in a professional setting but that's also entirely dependent on specific professional settings)
OP says they already have AE dress shoes
I think the docs are cool, but the AE's are timeless, what kind of envirionment do you live in? If its rainy or wet a lot, then the AE's might not be suited for that.
How do you know the AEs are timeless if you don’t know the model? And this doesn’t answer the question, Joel
If you go for a more traditional loafer then a half strap would be more versatile than the AE you posted. Likewise, you could get the Penton with black stitching if you wanted to tone down the look a little to play nicer with certain office fits, if that's a requirement
You can really dress down penny loafers a lot with the rest of your fit (baggy jeans, etc.) so as not to look "too old" but something as bold as Docs really swings your fit more casual, which can be cool if you're trying to subvert a dressier fit but its not always gonna work.
What the fuck does timeless even mean. My fuckass slim fit jeans that I wore in 2015 thinking they’d be timeless sure weren’t
And neither are AEs, nor anything else
Please let’s just leave that dumbass concept alone
Generally speaking AE makes their shoes in a very traditional, very conservative style, the shoes aren't doing anything extravagant or flashy, they're a traditional style,
That said loafers are cool and both types definitely have a space in a wardrobe depending on what you like to wear. I’m a pretty casual guy, so I got myself chunky loafers.
Something to consider as well is that the slimmer loafers probably will do a bit worse if you live in an environment where the weather is shit a lot.
I am here to give my opinions, why would you take advice from strangers on the internet? You ask the internet what to do with your money too? They would tell you to put it all into the meme coin du jour
Because this is a server for fashion advice
The point is to get advice
And preferable useful insight witch you are not providing
There's a lot of fashion that comes and goes, but I think there are some constants, jeans go skinny and bell bottom and other cuts but the concept of jeans remain constant
The hell they are lol. That's like 5% of their lineup
Hmm yet doc boots stay consistently in but doc loafers don’t
Don’t try to get philosophical with me. The concept of jeans is not constant, it’s existed for less than 200 years.
The idea of timelessness is bullshit in and of itself, for the simple reason that the temporal and cultural scope that you choose is completely arbitrary.
Womens fashion and the Roman toga tho
Also Allen Edmond derbies are not in rn
Roman Toga has got nothing on my loincloth
rip OP you deserved better than this
If you guys want to get mad at me for my objectively bad opinions that's fine, but we should stay on topic here. Leather sole shoes are great if you can wear them in properly and won't be walking through any puddles regukarly
i'lI echo the comments from chopper and epistrophy and say that the styling will dictate how "old" they feel
one use case: i bricked fits with doc loafers and suit pants/trousers previously because the chunky profile affected the pants break in a not great way. other than that i enjoyed both in a number of ways
I appreciate everyone’s advice! These are super well thought out and really hit on the points I was trying to consider with this purchase
As far as the point of timelessness goes I guess it’s not really a priority for me. Most of my wardrobe is pretty classic and straightforward pieces (grey wool trousers, green chinos, blue and black jeans, etc) with a few statement pieces here and there like some tops and jackets.
The priority of these loafers was versatility as to be able to wear them with most of my wardrobe cause that’s been my problem in the past with trying to elevate certain pieces. For example I bought iron rangers once without really thinking of how to incorporate them in my wardrobe so they’ve kind to sat in my closet for a while.
What’s the point of a discord if there isn’t some unresolved drama in the middle of good advice
that's why they call it discord
So are the docs. They're just different styles and the construction method doesn't mean anything
Have you ever had a pair of leather soles shoes get soaked? The construction is everything for practical purposes.
yeah I have leather shoes getting wet is overblown ime
Suede is NOT Delicate
Myth: suede is delicate.
I don’t know how the myth got started, it’s entirely false. Real suede is an incredibly durable leather. It doesn’t show surface scratches or stains very much. It can get literally soaked and bounce right back. It’s incredibly easy to care for; it’s receptive to neglect and papering.
Oak Street Bootmakers +7yrs of wear
...
Hit with the blog post 💀
The whole handwringing over leather shoes and rain was perpetuated by people spending amounts of money they weren’t used to on leather shoes they thought would be passed on to grandkids instead of sitting on Grailed for 18 months
Does anyone have any recs like the ones in the second picture? And how do we feel about silver buckles? Personally I have never been a fan of the tassels and would prefer to stay away from them
Do you mean like horsebits or some other thing wrt silver buckles
Second pic is current season ALD, what's your budget in $?
Gucci, Horatio London
Yes thank you I didn’t know the name
I mean if there are any entry levels that still have good construction I’d appreciate. I’d appreciate any range under 200. Also is there a used market to consider? Dress shoes have one but I’m unsure about loafers
GH Bass is usually rec'd at that price range. There's def a secondhand market, but ill defer to others for suggestions since I don't often shop secondhand.
Looks like a really interesting blog post I will be reading this, and I agree that leather is just about the best upper for shoes. But leather outsoles are just really annoying where I live when it can rain 60-90 days nonstop.
Used market for loafers is great if you know your size or are willing to gamble a bit/do more online research on specific models
off the top of my head gh bass, meermin, morjas, sebago and sometimes alden can go for under 200 (if not less) secondhand
if you're buying secondhand you may also have to factor the cost of maintenance - if there's heel drag or a need for resoling that can add up
Pro tip for getting secondhand shoes is that sometimes shoes repair shops will have people forget to pickup their shoes after being resoled, so then they have to be… resold. You can get a pair of used but repaired shoes for reasonably cheap
Alr enough dogshit advice out of you. You can have chatting privileges back after you post a fit
I cannot even take this seriously genuinely
The odds of you getting a good pair of shoes that fit you from this strategy are worse than the shit they offer gambling addicts on sports betting apps
has anyone had experiecne with solovair and their penny loafer?
I have solovairs and they’re very nice
I had a pair of Chelsea boots and a pair of derbies, both very good. Didn’t test the loafers.
Just wanted to update this thread and say I got a pair of the blackstock and Weber horsebit
And I am loving them thank you everyone for your help
Some notes now that I have them. I was able to try on the lug sole before purchasing and I found them to not really add that much chunkyness to the profile. If anything it caused them to curl up more and I actually didn’t care for them as much in person
I ended up just doing a leather bottom and added a vibrum sole to it and the bw loafers themselves are chunkier that I expected and work both for dressed up and a little for dressed down for the horsebit
I didn’t expect the horsebit to be something I’d go for but I found a pair of them used for a pretty unbeatable price so I sprung for them and I haven’t complained. I’d probably go for a penny loafer in a different color if I got a second pair
Where did you find them used if you don't mind me asking? A curated vintage shop IRL or one of the typical secondhand online websites?
Website! I find those to be easier to search more consistently and it’s easier to get a deal then an actual shop
And then I take it to my cobbler if they need any care or rubber soling