Most men treat loafers as a summer shoe and that is exactly where they go wrong. A well made loafer does not clock off in September. The right one works with tailored trousers, with dark jeans, with the kind of smart casual situations where a trainer feels too relaxed and a lace up feels like you are trying too hard. That middle ground is where loafers actually live, and it is a more useful place than most men give them credit for.

We have been particularly focused on construction and last shape here because that is what separates a loafer that looks considered from one that looks like an afterthought. Penny loafers, horsebit styles, suede versus leather, dressy versus chunky sole. Each one pulls a different part of your wardrobe into focus. The ones we have picked are not seasonal novelties. They are shoes you reach for repeatedly because they keep solving problems you did not expect them to solve.