A loafer has no laces to cinch, so it should fit more snugly than a lace-up — the feel of a firm handshake around the foot. For most feet that means about half a size down from what you'd wear in a lace-up. If you're between sizes, choose the smaller. A little heel slip in a brand-new pair is normal and settles as the leather beds in; a lot of slip means the size or width is wrong.
A lace-up shoe can run a little generous; you just pull the laces tighter. A loafer can't. It stays on by fit alone, which is why a pair that feels merely fine in the shop will slip at the heel by the end of the day.
Snugger than a lace-up
Snug means secure all round: held at the heel, close over the instep, with just enough room to move your toes. For most people that means going down about half a size from their lace-up size, and for some feet a full size. If you're between sizes, take the smaller one.
The reason to err on the snug side is that leather gives as you wear it. A pair that starts a touch firm eases into a good fit over the first few wears; a pair that starts loose only gets looser, and there are no laces to take up the slack. A new pair should feel secure rather than roomy — that's the fit that lasts.
Heel slip, and breaking them in
A little heel slip in a brand-new pair is normal, and it usually disappears within a few wears. A new loafer is stiff: the sole hasn't started to flex and the leather hasn't softened, so your heel lifts slightly with each step. As the shoe beds in around your foot, the heel settles. What you're feeling in the first day or two is an unworn shoe, not the wrong size.
A lot of slip is different. If your heel lifts clean out with every step from the start, the pair is too big or too wide, and no amount of breaking in will fix it. One thing worth knowing: suede tends to grip a little sooner than smooth calf, which can feel slick against the heel until it beds in.
Width, not length
Here's the rule that saves most fit mistakes: leather stretches in width, not in length. A pair that's snug across the instep or the ball of the foot will ease as the leather relaxes sideways. A pair that's short, where your toes already sit at the end, will stay short, because a shoe doesn't grow lengthways. So a loafer that pinches across the width but is right in length is very likely the correct size, and will settle; one that's tight at the toe won't improve, so size up.
This is also why wider feet get on well with loafers: choose the length that fits and let the width give. Our loafers are built on a standard-to-generous last with room through the instep, and the unlined summer pairs are a touch softer, so they mould to the foot a little faster. And once the size is settled, the next question is which style to reach for — we cover that in the main guide, how to wear loafers.
A few more
Do you size down in loafers?
Usually, yes — about half a size below your normal lace-up size, and a full size for some feet. Because there are no laces to hold the shoe on, a loafer needs to fit snugly, and sizing down stops the heel slipping. Between sizes, take the smaller.
Do loafers stretch over time?
They stretch in width, not length. A pair that's snug across the foot will ease as the leather relaxes; a pair that's short at the toe won't lengthen, so never buy short expecting them to give.
Are loafers good for wider feet?
They can be. Choose the length that fits and let the width stretch, since leather gives sideways. A pair that feels snug across the front on day one is usually right, not too small.
