Why the loafer’s chic style remains a favourite, with Gucci, Prada and Miu Miu presenting their takes

Loafers, worn by everyone from timeless style icon Cary Grant to “It” girls like Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner, have an interesting and somewhat disputed origin story.

Depending on who you ask, they are attributed to Norwegian peasant fishers and farmers, or the moccasins worn by Native Americans. Brands such as Maine’s GH Bass, meanwhile, are credited with creating a new kind of loafer, the Weejun, in the 1930s and making it the must-have piece for Ivy League students. The “whale tail” strap at the front of the Weejun had space for a penny – and while some have said it was put there to have a handy coin for emergency phone calls, mostly it was a mere style statement.