Hand Picked, The Cream Loafers Worth Shopping Handpicked by Claire

Trust me your cream loafer won’t be earning a spot in your rotation unless you take care of it. Its colour should tread the fine line between business black, and wekeend-warrior tan hideous shirt boot trash. Find something somewhere in that dusty Nabucodonosor pastel range that looks intentional, not careless – and that’s how it will work for you all season long. Construction is key on a shoe like this, when you’re wearing brown there’s no place to hide.

Look for a leather or suede upper with an actual apron seam and stacked leather or leather sole to give your foot some structure where it counts, not some mass produced garbage foot molded to some shapeless plastic that will bubble and stain after two wears. Suede will always be warmer and more casual, smooth leather is smarter and easier to keep clean. Choose what ever material suits you and how much you want your shoe to work for you day to day. I can’t emphasise fit enough. This is where most shoes will fall apart. Literally. Get fitted properly.

Your loafer should sit tight to your foot with NO gaps on the sides. Allowance for movement should only come from the leather stretching to your foot. The toe should be soft and slightly rounded. Pointy toes and rounded toes will age your shoe quicker than khaki jeans. The penny bar/snaffle detail should sit flush against your foot at all times. This is not a mans shoe that gets it shine saved by nickel plating.

Pairing your cream loafer is what makes this shoe so fun. Under jackets and especially flat front or wide leg trousers in navy, greige or grey. Cream sole and leather lifts your entire get up tonally without ever leaving you looking washed out like black. Keep your jeans cuffé with a bare ankle or thin sock in SOMETHING neutral. No pastels or crazy prints. Skirts are the same deal; you’re either going full cotton candy no hose with a slip in satin, or prim and civic with a linen skirt. Either way the loafer grounds an otherwise fluffy outfit, and it does so without killing your whole look like boot would.

Where to wear them? Really anywhere that waking up would be frowned upon but a full on dress shoe would seem excessive. Monday morning meetings that could turn into dinner/drinks. Weddings that specify ‘smart attire, not black tie’. Long lunches. Gallery openings. That kinda ‘daytime’ affair where trainers seem too lazy but heels would make you look like you’re trying too hard. It photographs SO well with denim and jackets. No wonder we see them pop up in our feeds every spring without the style ever truly dying.