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How The Penny Loafer Got Its Name

The featured image is the Atlantic Moc Toe Penny Loafer in Navy.

No men’s shoe style rides the line between casual and dress quite like the men’s loafer. One of the most versatile of men’s shoe designs, men’s loafers date back to the early 1930s. Norwegian shoemaker Nils Gregoriusson Tveranger is credited with the design of this new slip on shoe that he called the Aurland. Tveranger took his inspiration for the design from the moccasins worn by Native Americans and combined that with the slip on shoes used by Norwegian fishermen. Later, while back in the USA, a leather piece stitched across the saddle of the shoe with a halfmoon shape cutout was added. And in the 1950s, teenagers began placing a coin in the slot which lead to them being called penny loafers.

Today men’s loafers come in a variety of styles. Year in and year out, both dress loafers for men and men’s casual loafers are still some of the most popular shoes styles on the market. Crafted in both ultra-stylish dress styles and more relaxed, casual silhouettes, there’s a style for every occasion. A versatile shoe is hard to beat and a pair of black loafers goes equally well with a chinos or jeans. For a timeless casual look, a pair of brown loafers for men with jeans is always in fashion. Whether you choose a penny loafer, black loafers, dress loafers, or brown loafers for men, you are assured to get a versatile pair of shoes with enduring style.

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