It would only be rational that after a long winter—after endless months of cramming our feet into suffocating sneakers and boots—we’d finally let our manicured toes catch some rays as soon as the sun comes out. It seems that supermodels have a different idea in mind, however. Instead of going for something strappy and sexy this summer, the likes of Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber, and Bella Hadid are already opting for a more classic style: the loafer.
Just this past week, Bieber stepped out in New York City sporting a slick black skirt suit, wearing a black loafer with a hulking platform and a dainty little sock. A few weeks earlier, Kendall Jenner, who also works with Bieber’s stylist Dani Michelle, opted for a pair of simple dark-wash jeans and the tried-and-true supermodel tank top, along with a pair of old-man-beloved classic black loafers with tassels. Then there was Bella Hadid, who was spotted in mid May wearing a zip-up sweatshirt, a Heaven by Marc Jacobs graphic T-shirt, and a midiskirt that she paired with knee-high white socks and a pair of hefty loafers. (The grunge-informed ensemble recalled Marc Jacobs’s infamous fall 1993 Perry Ellis collection in which models were styled in skirts and combat boots.)
The scholarly style has been on the runway for quite some time, from Prada and Gucci to Miu Miu and Ganni. And while it might seem like an odd choice for the warmer climes, the sturdy loafer provides a chic anchor to any look, often working best with dresses and skirts. Vogue’s Steff Yotka agrees, noting that it’s “like a Converse or a Birkenstock—a Platonic ideal that has a life in all seasons.” (Yotka regularly opts for Prada’s spring 2020 woven loafers with gold chains or Loewe’s convertible platform loafer mules with her skirts and dresses.) The powerful shoe also complemented Bieber’s barely-there skirt suit, balancing the skimpy look perfectly. And the best part? The loafer is an elevated choice when you haven’t gotten a pedicure in time.