Suede Loafer: Summer shoe for the gentleman

The loafer is a shoe that gets pulled out of the closet at the first rays of sunshine. With a leather insole, this style, a must-have in any woman’s or man’s wardrobe, is breathable even on hot summer days. Lightweight, comfortable, and easy to slip on – what could be better for the transitional season? It’s the ideal pair of shoes for summer temperatures and hot flashes. The Durawalk’s blog introduces the famous blue suede shoes and shows how to combine them with other outfits for the office.

Fashionable summer shoes with tradition

Equipped with a separate outsole and insole and a sturdy heel, the slipper is an extremely comfortable summer shoe.

Combining black suede: styling options for the perfect summer look 

Whether chic for the office or casual for everyday wear, black boots can be combined and styled in various ways. We’ll tell you the most popular styling options for summer 2025 in the following section:

• The chic office outfit: Do you want your office outfit to look modern but still elegant? Then, combine black suede shoes with a fitted knit dress and a blazer in a loose, oversized cut. The boots also become a real eye-catcher when combined with a pantsuit. 

• Shoes for a grey or black suit: For a dark grey or black suit, only one shoe color is suitable for the classic outfit: black. Brown shoes with a black suit are frowned upon in a classic outfit. Which lacing for the suit shoes – open, closed, or buckled – depends on the wearer’s preferences. If you want a fashionable outfit, you can show off your color. You can’t get more color on your feet. But be careful; this appearance is reserved for men who love fashion! 

• Shoes for a patterned suit: Fashion never stands still; the spiral keeps turning. Suits are getting patterns and colors again, whether subtle or classic. If you want to take it to the extreme in fashion, suede loafers are recommended. These go against the color scheme but still lighten the overall look. Fresh from the street, look to the gentleman who can afford this with a charming and sophisticated demeanor.

Suede shoes are also in the office

Undoubtedly, men’s shoes made of suede are primarily at home in leisure activities and exude a certain sportiness. For formal occasions and in conservative industries, the velvety suede seems too casual. However, suede models in warm brown tones enjoy great popularity in creative industries and other professions with a relaxed dress code.

In this sense, a classically stitched men’s shoe made of velvety nubuck or suede pairs beautifully with a fashionably elegant outfit consisting of a blazer, shirt, and chinos. Likewise, a gray suit with a light blue shirt creates a stylish ensemble with brown suede shoes, while a black suit should also be chosen to match black shoes.

From leisure favorite to modern business shoe

Since the mid-20th century, the suede loafer has been an integral part of classic men’s fashion. At the beginning of its success story, this slip-on shoe enjoyed great popularity, especially in the leisure sector – in fact, “loafer” translates as “loafer” or “slouch,” but this had no direct connection to its original, purely casual use. Incidentally, the inspiration for today’s popular loafer design came from none other than Oscar winner Paul Lucas.

The Hungarian-American actor was a fan of the comfortable loafers but struggled with the lack of support in the models of the time. For this reason, Lucas had a custom loafer version made. The novelty: a thin black suede leather strap ran around the instep in a drawstring and was fastened with the two characteristic suedes. Lucas’s private suede loafers quickly caught the attention of other shoe lovers and went into series production shortly afterward. Today, their use is no longer limited exclusively to weekends.

What types of loafers are there?

Initially inconspicuous, the history of the loafer is rich in anecdotes and tradition. Whether plain or two-tone, this style is a must-have among low shoes, regardless of whether it’s for men or women. The loafer family includes two main categories: the loafer and the penny loafer.

The loafer is casual: worn without socks and recognizable by the seam on the upper. It is sometimes adorned with accessories such as suedes, braids, or even pompoms.

The penny loafer has a more dressed-up look and takes its name from an American tradition: the platform ends with a decorative tab, into which students insert a coin for good luck. The so-called “driver,”

also known as the “car shoe,” is also available in classic and colorful versions. It is popular among drivers for its practical features and non-slip, studded sole.

Suede loafers also for the office

In the USA and Italy, the suede loafer is already considered a fully-fledged business shoe and embodies the American lifestyle like no other men’s shoe. Although the slip-on shoe – especially in the black smooth leather version – also looks fabulous with a black or grey suit on less formal occasions, in our latitudes it is only gradually breaking away from its image as a purely casual shoe. In the fashionable suede version, the feather-light slip-on shoe is particularly convincing when worn with a polo shirt and chinos for the typical college look, but can also be stylishly combined with jeans, tweed, or corduroy in matching colors. Tip: The suede loafer generally goes without socks. But little booties also maintain the barefoot look and prevent unpleasant odors.