T.G.I.F – Cole Haan x Nike Air Penny Loafers

“You can be white and new but don’t prep the roll” – Q-Tip

I’ve been on a search for loafers since I missed these about a year and a half ago. I really wanted to switch up from the normal wingtips and cap toes I’ve been wearing to the office. I needed something dressy enough for work but more comfortable for the Spring/Summer months. What could be better than some sturdy penny loafer. I searched the net and different retail shops for about 3 months. I needed something that was really my style. Something sleek. Traditional loafers or “weejuns” were cool. Very classic and built to last but just weren’t cutting it style wise. So I began to opt for brands that were a few steps up from Bass. I jumped straight to Gucci again. Typical I know but I really like the low cut of their loafers and the leather is supreme. Although I saved up to purchase just about whatever I wanted as far as a loafer I didn’t want to fork over the $550 the luxury designer want for these. So my best bet was to check out the Gucci outlet to see if they had a variation of this loafer that I may like. I found a suede version but I didn’t get that glorious feeling you get when you put on a shoe the price of a car note. Along with the crappy customer service I decided to pass on the whole Gucci experience this time around.

A few weeks later I went back to my trusty Nordstroms and tried on 3 pairs of loafers to no avail. I never gave up. I headed back to Nordies about 2 weeks ago and hit the jackpot. I found these Cole Haan loafers on sale. There was some stiff competition in a pair of super soft loafers by Magli by Bruno Magli. I opted for the traditional preppy penny loafer opposed to the laid back South Beach style loafer. I felt the penny loafer look was a bit more versatile.

I finally got around to taking a few pics of the shoes ( I refused to wear them until I did this post) Check them out. Don’t be surprise if you see more and more urban gents pop with loafers this Spring/Summer.