As you are no doubt well aware, we are super big fans of loafers around these parts. They are a great casual shoe, and look extremely clean and neat with a suit as well. A very renown loafer company is Quoddy. They specialize in more casual varieties — the type that would look amazing with a pair of jeans and a blazer, or chinos and an OCBD. If you don’t have a loafer like this, you should definitely get yourself a pair. And Quoddy is, in fact, an excellent, though pricey, place to do so. In our case we got their True Penny Loafer ($345). Here is our full rundown…
Packaging & Experience
To start, the site is very sleek and easy to use. Better yet, you are actually able to customize any of the shoes you are ordering! You can pick the leather type, color, stitching, soles, and just about anything else you can think of. This is super unique, as each shoe is then essentially made to order. The downside? Shipping takes a really long time. My shoes took almost 2 months to arrive. When they do, though, they come in a nice box, with a nice card explaining a bit about fit, and that they offer a free stretching service if the shoes need some slight adjustments. More on this below. Overall, the leather smelled incredible, and immediately was noticeably high quality and supple.
Style & Design
This is, in our opinion, one of the sleekest penny loafers out there. Looks super clean, sleek, and slim from the profile. The toe is perfectly rounded. It is, in just about every way, perfect. It is incredibly hard to find a penny loafer this sleek. Plus, the fact that you can customize it is awesome and special. We went with a pebble grain leather, something you don’t see every day.
Quality & Construction
From the moment you put them on you can tell that they are quality. Super smooth and supple leather. They’re comfortable the first time you wear them, and only break in from there. I have not noticed any creasing, or any real imperfections in the shoe. It’s wonderful and a pleasure to look at and wear. These shoes have a great reputation, and we see why. I am sure these will last for many years to come. No complaints here.
Sizing
They nail the sizing here. I am usually an 11.5 and an 11.5 fit a tiny bit snug out of the box, but perfectly broke in to fit within two or three wears. And if not? You can send the shoes back and they will stretch them to accommodate where you need room the most. If it’s still no good? You can swap them out for another pair. But if you ordered custom, be prepared to wait the same length of time it took for them to originally arrive, as they now need to make them to order yet again.
Value & Conclusion
The Quoddy True Penny Loafer ($345): Look, there are no two ways about this. These things are pricey. They are in the same league as Allen Edmonds as far as pricing goes, but I think they deserve to be. The quality is there, so is the comfort. Plus, these shoes are actually even sleeker than most other brands — even more expensive ones. If you ask us, this is money well spent. It’s a versatile, timeless shoe, that every single man needs in his collection. Yes, there are cheaper options out there. But you won’t be disappointed with this one, and you can’t really do much better.