The origins of the loafer have been disputed by many over the years with more then a few laying claims to being the original creators of the iconic footwear.
A bespoke shoe company established 1847 called Wildsmith shoes developed the Wildsmith loafer for King George the 6th as a casual house shoe in the 1920’s. This was later marketed and sold as the Harrow shoe. But other claims go back further than this, so it makes sense to surmise this was more of an adaptation of the design rather than a new creating.
A Shoemaker by the name of Nils Tveranger in Norway, introduced his first design around 1908 and obtained protection for his design. Yet to further muddy the waters, the trademark for the Loafer only dates to 1924 by the Nettleton Shoe company.
Historians believe that the style was developed from them traditional footwear worn by Native American Indians. But here there is also some conjecture, as other historian will say it was the footwear of the traditional Norwegian fisherman and farmers that inspired the loafer.
Today there are many loafer styles such as Wildsmith, Aurland, Penny, Kilted, Tasseled, and Belgian, and I’m sure there’s a few more. Whatever the true story may be, the loafer has become a staple in every trendsetter’s