For everything there is a season—sometimes you want to wear a buffalo plaid flannel shirt, a pair of raw selvedge jeans and some Red Wing work boots like you’re about to eat 10 flapjacks and chop down a tree.
And some days you want to dress like a 1700s French courtier as you enjoy a macarón.
On the latter days, there is one Internet-approved shoe choice that stands above all others: The Belgian Loafer.
Dainty in every conceivable way, right down to their paper-thin soles, the Belgian loafer defied all odds to become the footwear of choice for stylish men in NYC (Antonio Ciongoli—below—and David Coggins both have donned them) and beyond.
For me, realizing the ubiquity of Belgian loafers was a red pill moment. At some point I became aware of them, and then when I looked back through photos I’d saved of stylish and inspirational menswear, I realized half the guys in those photos were wearing Belgian shoes.
The original is from a specific shop in New York City called Belgian Shoes, that you cannot buy online—you must call and order over the phone. They’re currently $550 and come in a few different options. The most common I’ve seen are the pairs with the little bow on the front.
As someone who takes his inspiration from rich dudes in large cities, I’ve always wanted to give Belgian loafers a try, just to see if they’re for me. But I was never going to spend that kind of money on a shoe so delicate.
So I was delighted when I was assembling a black tie rig for my upcoming trip to Pitti Uomo and discovered Yanko’s selection of attractively priced Belgian loafers sold via Oslo shop Skolyx. I bought a pair in black suede, and with that specific outfit (cream dinner jacket, white shirt and black trousers), they’re great. I’d maybe get the pair with the little bow if I had to do it again, and maybe opt instead for a calf or other leather to contrast with my trousers better, but those would be marginal improvements.
Their sizing advice is to take a full EU size up from what you wear in other brands (like Meermin), and that turned out correct for me. They’re a little loose but it’s manageable. I normally wear EU44, and bought EU45.
The thin rubber dress sole is the thing that convinced me to give them a try (even at $165, it’s not a price you want to pay for a sole that will wear through after a dozen wears). I won’t worry about them as I stalk the cobblestone streets of Florence.
To address both the longevity and comfort issue, Belgian Shoes at some point introduced a rubber-sole version of their shoes called the traveler. It maintains the sleek shape of the upper part of the shoe but has a flat rubber sole more comfortable for walking.
I’m happy to see Yanko has now added a similar style of their own with a dark sole (they offered a thicker rubber sole option previously that was a contrasting white; no thanks).
I like this black pair for their comfort and shape enough that I think I will buy a pair of their hybrid-penny-loafer style in their attractive mid-brown suede (below).
Buying Yanko’s Belgian Loafers From Norway and Returning If Necessary
Skolyx makes it reasonably easy to buy and return if needed (use Paypal’s “return shipping on us” feature), just don’t buy more than one pair to try on and ship back at a time. If you need to return or exchange, you buy this product for about $35USD and through a series of emails they give you a DHL label to ship them back. But the DHL label only covers enough volumetric mass for one pair of shoes, so you have to buy two. Paypal will refund you up to $30 for a return shipping label per order up to a dozen times per year—so my advice is just buy one pair at a time and ship as needed if you want to try them.
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Although I enjoy shopping online, I’m skeptical about buying products internationally from a new brand unless they have a very good return policy. Unlike laceups, Belgian shoes can be tricky to fit (you have to worry about not just the length but the width and the last), and the situation here is complicated further when a seller recommends sizing up or down. That’s off putting only increases the uncertainty. And then to have to jump through the hoops of buying the label, driving somewhere to drop off the package for shipping, claiming the refund from PayPal, etc. For me, at least, it’s not worth the hassle. These shoes might be a good deal on paper but at the end of the day, I’d rather buy more expensive shoes that from a store I have a history with, knowing that they’ll fit, then risk going through all that hassle with a brand I’ve never heard of. I’m very comfortable buying shoes online from a company like Proper Cloth because I know they’ll fit well. But loafers are much trickier to fit than shirts, and if the company wants to attract international customers, they really should consider charging more and offering “free” returns.
Just reading this now after the Pitti coverage. Confession – big Belgian fan here. So I may be a little biased…
I don’t know if I’d buy a brand other than the original.
Belgian shoes might be “ubiquitous” in certain industry circles, but they’re far from ubiquitous in the typical day-to-day of any normal guy, let alone menswear aficionado. In my experience, Belgians are more of a sartorial wink worn by like-minded, fashion conscious gents that one might encounter at a party, a wedding, or in a holiday destination of a particular variety. The gent wearing a pair of Belgian’s may also discussing a new brand they discovered or some other tasteful hobby or pursuit.
Probably can’t say the same for every banker you see with a pair of Gucci’s or velvet Del Toro’s.
You’re right, Mitchell. The original Belgian Shoes are not a value play or a daily workhorse. They are most certainly not a “starter shoe” for anyone looking to begin a footwear collection. If a nice pair of benchmade loafers is the 201 or 301 class, Belgian Shoes are the 401 seminar.
They are a great option if you’re looking for something different and versatile. Maybe don’t buy one pair to wear with a tux. Buy a brown pair you can wear with anything you want. I find myself reaching for a pair of Belgians on the weekend way more than any other shoe. Dressed up. Dressed down. They always look stylish. And the hype is real, they are exceptionally comfortable.
Are they an everyday shoe? Probably not, but I wear a pair once or twice a week. I have a few pairs approaching their tenth birthday. Still in great shape after a sole replacement or two – which by the way- is very affordable. Less than $100 compared to some of the ludicrous rates shoe re-sole places charge these days.
In a way, they actually make the case for investing in a few good pairs of staple shoes – Alden’s etc. – because once you get those shoes, they last. And then you can have some fun with a pair of Belgian’s or other brands.
I love this comment. I think your view is probably the correct one—don’t get Belgians as a workhorse shoe. I didn’t buy my green windowpane jacket first, I got a navy blazer first. Don’t expect it to be the single most versatile jacket in rotation.
Anyway, appreciate the comment. Rock on!
Glad you like these, I do too. I bought the ‘hybrid’ model as you call it in dark brown suede and they are absolutely amazing and probably my most worn pair of dress shoes (I wear tailoring full working week at the office and smart casual most weekends). They have been going strong for a year with basically no signs of wear. I am seriously considering the mid-brown too for the easier matching with lighter outfits. The black looks amazing too. I actually got my regular size (41 continental European, 7 UK, 8 US) and they fit perfect from day one as they are very softly constructed.
Now that you’ve had a chance to wear these out a bit, how were they as walking shoes?
Actually pretty good. I zig-zagged across Florence one evening wearing these from one end of the city to the other and wasn’t in major pain by the end of the night. (Not something I could say about those Meermin penny loafers I took only bc I didn’t have anything else to take their place). The thin soles of the Belgians are still a little less comfortable than a normal shoe just bc there is less padding inside. But that wasn’t a deal breaker for me.
I’m planning on getting that suede penny loafer-style pair
I have a pair of the Yanko saddle Belgian loafers in dark brown suede. I find them very comfortable and they look great. I also have a pair of Berwick suede Belgians, which I got from Leather Healer. I enjoy wearing them as well, but I find the Yanko pair to be a better fit.