Belgian loafers

Belgian loafers are the perfect summer shoe. Our wide range of affordable unlined or soft lined super light and comfortable Belgian loafers from the famous Spanish brand Yanko has been a huge success. It's easy to understand why, with shoes of excellent quality that fits like a glove to your feet, available at a relatively low price.

Unlike many other Belgian loafers these are made to last more than just a couple of seasons. They are made with a Blake stitched construction and can be resoled, they have a thin half rubber sole which makes them much more durable, and they have a proper leather board heel stiffener. You have all the comfort of the unlined Belgian loafer model, yet with properties that give them durability.

The shoes are made of Reverse Kudu suede leather from the famous British tannery Charles F. Stead or a soft deerskin with lots of character.

What are Belgian loafers?

The original Belgian loafers were designed by the Belgian Henri Bendel in the 1940s. What makes it special is that it is a form of turn-shoe, where you sew the parts inside out and then turn the uppers with the right side out. The original model is also characterised by a small leather bow, which sits on top of the shoe. It's a slip-on shoe that is relatively low-cut, and often made in soft comfortable construction, glued or Blake stitched, and often with unlined uppers.

Are Belgian loafers comfortable?

The high comfort level is one of the reasons why Belgian loafers today are such an extremely popular shoe model. It's a shoe that, thanks to its low cut, is easy to put on, it's light and flexible, and feels almost like a sock on the foot. Our Belgian loafers from Yanko are just as comfortable, but thanks to the fact that they are constructed with, for example, a heel stiffener made of moldable leather board, have a thin rubber sole and are made with a Blake stitched construction, they are shoes that will last for many years.

How should new Belgian loafers fit?

With loafers that have no laces or buckles which one can modify the fit, it can be more difficult to get the fit right. Belgian loafers should feel relatively tight when brand new, compared to regular lace-up shoes, although of course they shouldn't pinch so tightly that it's uncomfortable. Belgian loafers also have low-cut vamp, which can make the fit extra challenging. However, if you need to choose a size that is slightly roomy, as the smaller one will be too tight or short, this can usually be solved in a good way, see below.

How do I avoid heel slip on Belgian loafers?

An easy and at the same time very functional way is to add a suede tongue pad, it holds the foot down and push it back in a good way. This can be supplemented if necessary with a thin isnsole, and in some cases also with a soft suede heel grip.