Many trends from the past are coming back into style, including the beloved loafer.
By: Jill Cope and Courtney Unruh
HISTORY
Some wear them for the style, some for the comfort, but many do not know the true origin of the loafer trend. As seen in the photos above, we can see the same shoes from the 1970’s making their way back down the streets. We see the first popular design known as the Sperry boat shoe thanks to Paul A. Sperry. Inspired by the pads of his canine’s paws he noticed a, now famous, herringbone structure that helped his furry friend’s feet grab icy surfaces with great traction. As a sailor he mimicked this same herringbone structure on the soles of his own shoes to achieve the same traction as his dog.
SOCKS
From the Sperry we can see the creation of many different types of loafers. The backless loafer, known as the mule, has come back into style, along with the original Sperry type shoe. Many of these shoes can be worn with or without socks. The most original look is ankles showing with bare feet. There are socks specifically made to satisfy the sock wearers so they can still achieve the barefoot look. These are loafer socks are also known as no-show socks.
CURRENT FASHION In current fashion, there is a noticeable shift to clogs with the same structure design as moccasins and loafers present. In fact, an example of this was seen at fashion week.
ON CAMPUS TRENDS From 1948 to 1970, loafers have been worn on Oklahoma State’s campus. An obvious reason for this being because of the association students have with dressing like an academic or of course the usual comfort seeking nature of college students