The difference between loafers and driving moccasins

The difference between loafers and driving moccasins

The loafer is an instep, or a shoe that you put on just like that, without laces. Often loafers are confused with moccasins, which is not surprising. They are both loafers, they have a shared origin and over the years they have influenced each other in terms of model and decoration. The “official” difference is simple: loafers have a separate, hard sole, like normal shoes, while the bottom of moccasins is traditionally made of the same leather as the rest of the shoe. Moccasins today therefore often have rubber protection under the sole, such as studs. This is because these shoes were primarily used for driving. Driving moccasins womens were very popular because of the comfort they offered. In this article we will look at the history of the loafer, which has a lot in common with the history of driving moccasins.

The royal loafer

In 1926, the Wildsmith family, owners of the eponymous and highly regarded London shoemaking company, commissioned a shoe from British royal George VI. This was to be an easy, comfortable shoe that he could pop right into after returning from hunting around his country home. The British nobility, who were already fans of shoemaker Wildsmith, also saw the usefulness of this loafer: a trend was born. More and more men of distinction began to wear the Wildsmith loafer, slowly transforming it from an indoor shoe into an elegant stepper that could also be seen outside the door. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Wildsmith loafer, also known as the Harrow or Windsor loafer, was picked up in North America. Here the shoe became popular as formal wear, completing the transformation of the Wildsmith loafer as an indoor shoe to a neat outdoor shoe.

Inspiring Indians

Somewhere else in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century there was also a man with a loafer on his mind, namely in Norway. Norwegian Nils Gregoriussen Tveranger lived in America from age 13 to 20, where he learned the shoemaking trade. He was inspired by Native American tribes, who had long been making moccasin-style shoes; a single piece of leather tied on top of the foot. He returned to Norway, where he began to develop his own variation. In 1930, he introduced the Aurland moccasin. This slipper was eagerly worn in Aurland and the surrounding area. Nowadays you see moccasins and loafers in many different colors and materials. They are popular for their looks and comfort. Would you like to wear moccasins yourself? Then it’s really recommended to watch the internet for the best shoes on the market.