Published in L'Officiel Hommes Italia No. 8

          Before the tiresome ubiquity of today’s sneakers, the casual shoe choice for men was very simple: the loafer. In the USA, G.H. Bass introduced the Weejun in 1936 and was the most popular brand for decades. Its comfy informality made it extremely popular with both men and women. The Weejun and other penny loafer styles were an integral part of the American ‘Ivy League’ style of the 1950s. The origin of the loafer requires a short trip around the world. Norwegian footwear designers were inspired by their own native fishermen along with the traditional moccasins of the Native Americans. These Norwegian leisure slippers were exported to London and other European cities. Americans visiting Europe brought the design back whence it came and re-invented the original Native American creation. It perhaps takes Americans, with their casual attitude and clothes to match, to popularize something like the loafer. From James Dean to JFK, the loafer spanned the cultural spectrum. Always in informal brown, the Weejun reigned supreme from the 1940s to the 60s. They harmonized well with the shapeless sack suits in the States, but they could be rather clunky at times. What they had in casual cool, they lacked in smart sophistication. 

          Building upon the momentum of Florence, Rome and Milan, Gucci ventured to New York in 1953. The family saw the popularity of loafers and designed an elegant version as only they could. Their creation had a much sleeker silhouette and the addition of decorative horse bit hardware on the shoe’s instep gave a nod to the house’s saddle making origins. This proved to be a particular stoke of design genius for nowhere has the horse bit played a more crucial role in brand identification than in marking their distinctive loafer. The snaffle is discrete enough not to raise eyebrows while dining at a highbrow table yet easily identified by those in the know. And crucially, the Gucci loafer arrived in a hitherto unseen color: black. Now when paired with a suit, the loafer could muster enough sartorial muscle in formal settings and offered a touch of class to the informal. The sharpness of the shoe also complemented the much slimmer cuts of the Italian “Continental” suiting.  

         The growing popularity of the Cote d’ Azure, with its hot climes and sandy beaches, necessitated more casual footwear. The Weejun was the obvious choice but Gucci’s 1953 debut quickly became the go-to shoe for the jet set. In that same year, 19-year-old Bridgette Bardot gave the Cannes paparazzi an eyeful of flesh and Ian Fleming’s “Casino Royale” introduced the world to James Bond. It was an auspicious year. While seaside, Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Fred Astaire all wore the double ring and bar motif loafers. The price tag was far greater than their modest American progenitors, but as Aldo Gucci said, “Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.” 

         To take a living embodiment of the Gucci loafer attitude, look no further than George Hamilton, who has shod his feet in them for over 40 years. His radiant tan, thick, steel grey hair and effortlessly chic dress captures the sprezzatura inherent in the Gucci loafer. “When you get the joke and get the insignificance of your own life, and you don’t take yourself seriously, then you can begin to deal with life,” he says. The Gucci moccasin is truly a seducer’s shoe and Hamilton offers his succinct advice for pleasing women. The three ‘Fs’ that must be performed every day: you need to fight them, feed them and fuck them. Every day? Every day, George assures us. The Guccis might not even leave the feet of Mr. Hamilton as he undertakes his daily prescriptions. 

        To celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of their loafer, Gucci has released a special anniversary edition. With “Gucci 1953 Made in Italy” stamped inside, they continue to be as pliable, light, comfortable and elegant as they ever were. And they continue to be 100% made in Italy, a rare exception in today’s luxury world. As Aldo said, the quality will be long remembered, and indeed it already has. The Gucci loafer may be in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art but after kicking around for sixty years they are still the perfect kicks of the confident hedonist. Just ask George.