FREE Shipping by Amazon. The Aurland moccasin was discovered by European and American foreigners around the time of the interwar period. The answer is a bit contested, but I say let those ankles breathe. Enticed by rumors of exceptional salmon fishing and mountaineering, they began to visit the Valley of Aurland in Bergen and took note of the comfortable-looking footwear that local fishermen wore. The "Wildsmith Loafer" made by Raymond Lewis Wildsmith of Wildsmith Shoes, was designed for King George VI as a casual house shoe. The first loafer produced by the company was the Bass Weejun in 1936, it’s name stemming from the company creator Bass and the Weejun stemming from a corruption of the word Norweigan, the place … … Women's Seaport Penny Leather Loafer. Other iconic figures of the time such as James Dean regularly wore penny loafers with blue jeans and a white tee, while Elvis Presley was often seen in them including in 1957's Jailhouse Rock. The safe move is to keep it a casual style. An early advertisement refers to the penny loafer’s versatility: “Not shoes, not slippers, not moccasins, they are ideal for the beach, a camping trip, or lounging about the locker room or house. Popular with both men and women, the easy appeal of the loafer was that it was comfortable as well as smart. With socks, without socks, sometimes even with white tube socks and shorts, the penny loafer became a centerpiece of the newly solidifying … Even punks were no strangers to them, styling their beat-up loafers with ripped denim and leather jackets, proving that the iconic shoe style was adopted by various cultural groups. And if you’re nervous about foot sweat and stink, try some no-show loafer socks. The options are copious. Bass was the first American manufacturer to construct leather loafers inspired by fashionable footwear popular in the social scene of Palm Beach. and the Iroquois Native Americans’ moccasins. G.H. Pair it with pretty much anything in your closet and you’re good to go. The shoe has subsequently been marketed and sold by other London shoe firms and dubbed "the Harrow". Moving on, let’s hit ‘Weejun’ next. The Italian fashion... Gucci Loafers… Fine for informal occasions.” A later advertisement aptly calls the penny loafer the “Symbol of Elegant Leisure.” Penny loafers became an instant hit, so much so that women even began buying them for themselves and brands around the country began producing their take on the style. Brooks Brothers is out of luck selling any to me. First, let’s take a look at the ‘loafer’ part, which is pretty simple. They were orginally called Weejuns but took the name of penny loafers when people would put pennies … Fratelli Rossetti played undoubtedly an important role in favoring their diffusion. After learning his shoemaking skills in America, Norwegian Nils Gregoriusson Tveranger … Perhaps the best way to approach the history of the penny loafer is to dissect the name of the gold standard – the Bass Weejun Penny Loafer. Want a style that will let you stand out from the crowd? An instant classic, whether or not you put pennies in your loafers for luck. Lured by the well-priced penny loafer… The history of the loafers continues thanks to James Dean, Buddy Holly, and Elvis (and the fact that... Yacht Moccasin. G.H. Surprisingly enough, ‘weejun’ is actually short for ‘Norwegian,’ and is actually the first tie-in for the shoe with the academic, ‘Ivy’ crowd. The History of Penny Loafers The penny loafer is an American classic born more than 70 years ago. Jay Butler is a men's loafers & leather goods brand. Bass founded his namesake company in 1876, but it wasn’t until 1936 that they really made their imprint on men’s style as they became the first company to mass market the ‘Weejun’ loafer style (trademarking the name as they went). This above named strap happened to be cut in what can only be described as a ‘lip-like’ shape, with a small opening at the center that happened to be the perfect size and shape for a small, round object like a penny. Bass. A penny-loafer has a "tongue and strap". ALL MATERIALS © 2013 - 2021 HE SPOKE STYLE, LLC, Penny loafers work pretty well with jeans. Lured by the well-priced penny loafer’s convenient laceless design that was ideal for rushing to class in the mornings, it became the ubiquitous shoe for American schools and college campuses from the 1940s to the late 1960s. The Weejun—an American take on the word “Norwegian”—was advertised as Norwegian fishing shoes and first retailed for $6.50. Serendipitously, this was also back when a phone call cost just that – a penny. HISTORY OF THE PENNY LOAFER In the 1930s Norwegians were producing leisure slippers (moccasin style) and began exporting them to the rest of Europe. After going to America to study the art of cordwaining, he created the Aurland moccasin when he returned to Norway, which combined elements from the teser and the Iroquois Native Americans’ moccasins. Penny loafers work pretty well with jeans, definitely work great with chinos, and can really only be pulled off with a suit in the perfect conditions. This was perfect for students who were drawn to the look as the subtly flashy – that’s a thing, right? If there was ever a piece to encapsulate that iconic ‘prep’ style, it may be the penny loafer. At the start of the twenty first century a revival of penny loafers in a more rugged version closer to the original concept from Moccasins, along with espadrilles, both of them very low or flat without heels, … Arnold Gigrich, the founder of Esquire, saw the potential of the Aurland moccasin and decided to partner with a distributor to bring a sample to John Bass, the son of the founder of American footwear label G.H. According to Esquire, the Aurland shoes were usually paired with light-colored suits and a Panama hat or a fedora. Shop the variety of available colors and styles in these classic loafers … The Ivy Style wasn’t just exclusive to college students; it was also adapted by working class GIs and jazz musicians like Miles Davis up to the late 1960s. Loafers are "slip-on shoes with a moccasin toe construction and slotted straps stitched across vamps". G.H. 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