The Venetian loafer is the men’s shoe of the season | Canada Voices

Earlier this summer, I picked up two pairs of loafers from a couple of vintage stores in downtown Toronto.

The first, a deconstructed pair in grained black leather with a rounded toe, and the second, a smooth black leather pair with a square toe, both had a heel no higher than half an inch. My chiropodist, who was treating me for tarsal tunnel syndrome in my right ankle, strongly cautioned against wearing anything other than foamy stability shoes. Still, I loved the sleek slip-ons enough to unwisely shun her sound advice (disclaimer: do not do as I do).

The long era of the chunky loafer is over – for now, at least. Condolences to everyone whose Prada Monolith dupes are collecting dust this summer. The most fashionable footwear of the season is minimalist to the max, from barefoot sandals to flimsy leather slippers to ballet shoes that appear to be sole-less. The Venetian loafer – arguably the most elegant of these options – strikes the right balance between on-trend and always in style. With a bare upper free of tassels or straps, it’s a more casual and versatile option than its peers the penny, tassel and horsebit loafers. The Venetian style evolved from house slippers, and the right pair feels as breezy and comfortable at a house party as at a wedding party.

“They’re pretty much all that I wear these days, all year around actually,” said Sam Bolianatz, a fashion content creator in Toronto who writes the Substack Boy Room. His go-to pair are vintage Prada in a deep espresso hue, which he picked up in Paris. “I have yet to find an outfit that they don’t enhance,” he said, adding that they take him from city strolls to dinners out.

While the Venetian loafer is a perennial footwear staple, designers have refined and reinterpreted the style. Season after season, menswear diehards snap up the soft leather loafers with a flat rubber sole from Japanese label Auralee. The French brand Lemaire makes its “outdoor slippers” with a leather sole and a slight heel for a more polished, formal look. The Milana loafer from Sena, a young footwear brand based in New York, is a sleek, square-toed style handmade in Italy that’s a new favourite among fashion people. For an option under $200, Simons offers a formal style from its in-house line that’s fit for board meetings and black-tie weddings. Loafer enthusiast Jacob Elordi has been spotted in Bottega Veneta’s Daddy pair in white braided leather.

“I think we’re into a barely there shoe this summer,” said Bolianatz. The clean, slim-soled silhouette of the shoe feels in keeping with the moment, he added, but the style is timeless. The content creator wears his loafers most often with relaxed jeans. “You can never go wrong with some vintage denim and a dainty loafer,” he said. “It adds a bit of sexiness.”

A hot-button debate in menswear is whether or not to wear socks with your loafers. Do you risk sweating through your soles and suffering brutal blisters for a carefree summer look? Or do you prefer to be comfortable, classic and maintain the integrity of your shoe? Bolianatz’s stance is clear: “Primarily sans sock,” he said, adding that there’s something about the low-profile silhouette that works so well on its own. (And here’s where two roads diverge: I am proudly pro-sock).

With the speed at which menswear trends come and go, it can be hard to decide what’s worth investing in. But Bolianatz thinks this style has legs. He admitted that he’d usually get tired of seeing the same shoe everywhere, but not in this case.

“They look great, and I don’t think they’ll ever really go out of style, at least in my wardrobe.”