Robb Recommends: Why These Belgian-Style Loafers Are the Perfect Summer Shoe
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I have a uniform, a set of go-to pieces that, depending on the season, I reach for in the morning before I trek to my 9 to 5. In the cold months, the rotation consists of skinny jeans in black or gray, cinched by belts with pronounced buckles; a hoodie or a beefy top, usually with a long raglan sleeve; and a pair of cowboy boots or leopard-printed ankle boots with a two-inch heel. When the temperatures rise, everything mostly stays the same: The dark denim and large-and-in-charge belts don’t change, nor do the raglan sleeve tops and hoodies. On really hot days, though, I will opt for an oversized button-down that I’ll style half-open. As for my shoes? Well, they go through a dramatic shift.
The contents of my shoe closet are vast and surprisingly diverse. For a self-professed creature of habit, I pretty much have all kinds of sandals, sneakers, boots, and dress shoes. Everything has been tried, of course, but about 10 percent of my entire collection gets used regularly. And in the summer, that percentage decreases. In place of my Western and leopard stompers, my feet are rarely without a pair of tan loafers. It’s a style that’s dependable and, when compared to the rest of my footwear, is the most comfortable.
Cognac Suede Milano Loafer
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It all started over a decade ago, in the summer of 2013, when I borrowed a pair of suede Del Toro loafers from my brother, also a fashion aficionado. At the time, I was fully captivated by Prada’s new platform brogues, spending entire paychecks on the different colorways. They were clunky, heavy, and, even after breaking them in, still painful. Blisters and cuts were customary. But that didn’t matter to me. It still doesn’t. I would gladly suffer through any discomfort if it means I achieved my desired look. On one hot summer day, however, the brogues weren’t doing it for me. My brother’s tan loafers, technically Venetian slippers, which he left at my house a week prior, seemed better suited for my oversized black button-down and gray skinny jeans. Something just clicked when I saw my reflection in the mirror. Prada’s platforms instantly lost favor.
I ended up returning my brother’s Del Toro loafers, but I was so taken by the look that I bought a pair of tan suede driving shoes from Tod’s with a gift card. Those stayed in my rotation for many summers until the brand’s signature Gommino soles gave out. I would later amass stuff from Donald J. Pliner, Sanayi 313, Florsheim, Sperry, Buane, Marc Fisher, Saint Laurent, and even Prada—all of them slight variations of the same style. Then, a few months ago, I came face to face with the brand that started it all.
Cognac Suede Milano Loafer
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At a meeting with Del Toro’s new CEO, Chad Kramer, another fashion aficionado, I was reminded of the OG tan loafers from 2013—the elegance, the comfort, the durability, and the way the company’s shoes made me feel on that summer day. I was also reminded of the value of having a uniform and the power of evolving that uniform. Kramer learned about my love of cowboy boots and aversion to black shoes, while I learned about his love of bomber jackets and Ivy League fashion.
In the middle of our very casual conversation, I caught a glimpse of a tan shoe in a bag beside him. I was instantly taken by the color, needless to say, as well the red stitching on the back of the shoe, a detail that can be found in all of Del Toro’s designs. It was a Belgian-style loafer, though the brand calls it Milano. The surface was so soft and buttery, and the piping was so pristine. I was smitten.
A few weeks later, I acquired my own pair of Milanos. I just had to do it. With all the different kinds of loafers I owned already, from moccasins to the kiltie, the Belgian-style, so marked for piping and a little bow on the vamp, was something I never tried. The shoes certainly have a more distinguished appearance than the rest of my collection, and after putting them on, are also one of the most comfortable.
I’ve since sported them at the office, at events, and, as of last night, at a restaurant on the Upper East Side of New York, where I saw a man with the same Del Toro Milanos. He had on chinos, a checkered shirt, and a Patagonia vest. His uniform couldn’t have been more different from mine. But, as I had come to find, he also only wears tan loafers in the summer.
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