Brown Suede Loafers, All Winter

The brown suede loafer is usually filed under summer, worn sockless with linen. That wastes a good shoe. Suede, as Simon Crompton wrote in Permanent Style this week, bridges the gap between smart and casual better than polished leather does, and that gap is where most men live from October to March.

The makers agree. Tod’s autumn collection includes a Winter Gommino in suede lined with cashmere or shearling. At Pitti Uomo in June, Man of Many noted soft, slouchy loafers for day and tobacco suede on the street, and Loro Piana’s autumn accessories list loafers alongside its boots and lace-ups.

## Making them work in the cold
- Choose dark brown or snuff over pale sand; it hides grime and looks better with flannel.
- Wear real socks. Ribbed wool in charcoal, navy, bottle green or burgundy turns a summer shoe into a winter one.
- Pair them with weight: grey flannel, cord, heavy denim, a cashmere crewneck.
- Mind the sole. Leather is slippery on wet pavement; a cobbler can add a thin rubber sole or heel.
- Spray with a protector before the first wet day, brush after wearing, and keep them on cedar trees.

Fit matters more than most men think. Crompton’s September piece on J.M. Weston’s 180 loafer is a useful warning: its high toe means many men take half a size smaller, some a full size, so ignore your usual number and try several sizes and widths in a shop. The same applies to a loafer from Paraboot, Crockett & Jones or anyone else. Fit them with the socks you will actually wear.

When it is properly wet, switch to a suede boot or a Tyrolean derby on a rubber sole, such as Paraboot’s Michael, and return to the loafers when the pavement dries.