Though loafers float in and out of the trending spotlight like bell-bottom jeans, they probably will never be completely out of fashion. Nancy MacDonnel at the New York Times has created a brief history of the comfortable and semi-relaxed shoe, highlighting the highs and lows of the shoe style that seems like it will never go away. 

Some shoes are obviously sexy. They reveal the curve of the instep. They flaunt toe cleavage. They cling precariously to the foot with the wispiest of straps and have towering heels that tilt the pelvis backward and the breasts forward, exaggerating the wearer’s contours to fertility goddess amplitude. Fashion designers, by and large, love these types of shoes and, despite the awkwardness of looking like they’re setting off for a day of pole dancing when they’re really heading to the office, many women love them, too. The popularity, if not the chic, of such shoes is assured.

And then there are loafers. Staid, sexually reticent, the footwear of choice for off-duty MBAs, loafers have a distinct lack of obvious fabulousness. Read More