The best loafers for women, tested by people who walk a lot

Best overall: Everlane The Modern Loafer

If you're arsenic large a instrumentality of an Everlane arsenic we are, you mightiness retrieve its original loafer, which was 1 of nan styles that first put nan marque connected nan map. Years later, they reintroduced our apical prime for nan champion loafers for women pinch an updated look and fit, and nan caller type is decidedly moreover amended than nan old.

The toed is somewhat much rounded truthful your toes person much room to wiggle, and nan leather is simply a spot much flexible. They've ne'er fixed maine a blister, which is much than I tin opportunity for nan aged pair. A stacked wood bottommost gives them a casual vibe, and nan rubberized sole prevents slipping and sliding connected slick floors. 

The caller loafers are supple, round-toed, and flexible, but not truthful bendy that they consciousness for illustration flats aliases smoking slippers. They person bully arch support, and nan rubber soles person measurement much traction than nan aged type of nan shoe.

For sizing, these travel successful full and half sizes and they fresh true-to-size. I wouldn't urge them if you person peculiarly wide feet, but if you're usually successful betwixt sizes, spell a half size up for nan champion fit.

Read our afloat Everlane Modern Loafer review.

Best for walking: Vionic Uptown Loafer

Best lug sole: Madewell Bradley Lugsole Loafer

Lug sole loafers are a awesome measurement to adhd immoderate tallness without uncomfortable heels. This brace has an almost 2-inch platform, which makes it a awesome prime for wearing pinch pants that are conscionable a small excessively long. They're besides is padded pinch Madewell's signature CloudLift padding, which provides a cushioned insole truthful you can't locomotion successful them.

Best classical penny: G.H. Bass Whitney Weejuns

There are respective versions of G.H. Bass' Whitney Weejuns (a ace chunky lug-sole pair, a '90s-inspired level pair, a croc-effect pair, nan database goes on), but thing tin hit nan classical type of these champion loafers for women. Though they return a spot of clip to break in, particularly astatine nan heel, you'll beryllium pleasantly amazed astatine really comfy and supportive nan insole is. Plus, nan accepted penny loafer look will ne'er spell retired of style. 

In position of sizing, these travel successful full and half sizes, and I urge going existent to your accustomed size. If you're successful between, you'll want to size up, particularly if you scheme connected wearing them pinch socks.

Best for wide feet: Vivaia Samantha Walker Loafer

Best packable: Rothy's The Loafer

Read much successful our afloat Rothy's flats review.

Best platform: Camper Milah Loafer

These ace shiny leather loafers person a 2-inch level bottommost and lightweight EVA soles — little clunky, much chunky. I won't lie, breaking these successful gave maine immoderate blisters astir my heels (something to beryllium expected pinch caller leather). To amend this, I deterioration excavation pinch no-show socks.

Best for avoiding blisters: Sam Edelman Loraine Bit Loafers

The Sam Edelman Loraine Bit Loafers travel successful much than 20 colors, from classical neutrals to bold choices for illustration agleam lemony yellow, jade green, aliases pinkish croc-effect. Each season, you'll find caller colors and textures introduced. 

The leather loafers for women are conscionable system capable to clasp their shape, but not truthful stiff that they'll blister you retired of nan box. I was capable to deterioration excavation for nan first clip for a full time (including commuting from nan suburbs to Manhattan and back) pinch nary discomfort. They person a mini magnitude of cushioning — for illustration capable that I would decidedly bring these connected a walking-heavy vacation. 

As for sizing, they travel successful full and half sizes pinch a fewer colors offering a wide width. I americium often successful betwixt a 7.5 and 8, and I opted for nan 8 this time, but I easy could person fresh successful nan 7.5. The leather will agelong and conform to your feet arsenic you deterioration them, truthful I'd urge going a half size down if you are already successful betwixt sizes. Otherwise, I'd opt for your accustomed size.

Best mid-range luxury: Nomasei Nono Loafer

"A awesome brace of loafers should beryllium conscionable for illustration a cleanable brace of denim: deliciously comfortable, wearable pinch conscionable astir anything, and a dependable staple for year-round wear. Founded by a duo who met while moving astatine Chloé successful Paris, Nomasei's luxe Parisian-inspired Nono loafers fresh nan measure precisely, albeit for a beautiful penny astatine conscionable nether $500. But moreover aft comparing these to my level brace from Gucci, I'd opt for this style almost each clip (and nan Gucci brace costs doubly arsenic much).

The leather feels sturdy and heavy yet buttery and luxurious, and while they do fresh a small stiff astatine first, they break successful nicely pinch a fewer wears. The arch support is besides substantial, making them comfy to locomotion successful (at slightest erstwhile nan leather connected nan backmost of nan bottommost softens up a bit). I sewage nan all-black pair, though nan marque is known for its bold bicolor and tricolor designs. I deliberation nan achromatic will support these emotion timeless contempt nan very trendy golden manus medallions, but if I had an unlimited budget, I'd beryllium nabbing them successful each colour combo possible. I would travel nan brand's proposal of going a half size down — I personally went true-to-size pinch my first order, and they were excessively big, truthful I had to return them and reorder." — Sally Kaplan, executive editor

Best luxury: Gucci Brixton Horsebit Convertible Loafer

If you've thought agelong and hard, and you cognize that designer loafers for women are what your bosom desires, get nan Gucci Brixton Horsebit Convertible Loafers. They're pricey, sure, but these awesome women's loafers will past you a lifetime. Our erstwhile elder style and beauty editor, Maria Del Russo, has had her brace of Brixtons for 5 years and says they're nan astir versatile footwear she owns. She credits this to nan fold-down bottommost that lets you deterioration them for illustration mules, truthful you're fundamentally getting 2 shoes successful one. The workmanship is evident nan longer you deterioration them, too. Maria has gotten these loafers re-soled twice, but nan leather and hardware person some stood nan trial of time.

The 1 drawback to nan Brixtons is that aft galore years, nan fold-down heels person turned a somewhat much faded shadiness of achromatic than nan remainder of nan heel. You tin return them to a cobbler aliases usage a leather conditioner to hole that, though. 

As for sizing, these travel successful full and half sizes, but beryllium observant to cheque nan sizing floor plan since they're usually listed successful Italian sizing, which is different from European sizing. We urge going up if you're successful betwixt sizes.

Best driving loafer: M.Gemi The Felize

The M.Gemi Felize loafers are immoderate of nan astir versatile and well-made shoes erstwhile Insider Reviews elder reporter, Mara Leighton, owns. After a twelvemonth of testing them aggregate times per week for our M.Gemi review, she says they've held up good (no wrinkles on nan top, minimal deterioration on nan underside of nan toes and heel). However, she notes that sizing isn't perfect.

"I ordered my existent size, and they've grown looser and much custom-fit arsenic moccasins do complete time. But, moreover so, nan apical is still snug; I couldn't furniture thing thicker than a ray sock pinch my pair." She says that if you're successful betwixt sizes, aliases you've ever had to size up successful shoes, you should spell up astatine slightest a half size successful these.

Check retired our afloat M.Gemi Felize Loafer review. 

Best suede: Margaux Penny Loafer

I'm a large instrumentality of Margaux's flats, and their statement of loafers for women are moreover much comfortable. The suede is soft and easy to break in, and there's a spot of cushioning connected nan insole that makes them comfortable for agelong days out. The building is besides amended than astir different suede loafers I've tried, truthful points to Margaux for quality.

I wouldn't urge wearing them connected a ace agelong walk, but they're different comfy for work, weekends, errands, and nan like. You tin expect nan suede to crease crossed nan ft beautiful quickly, but that's nan lawsuit for astir suede shoes. You'll spot it much successful nan colorful pairs but it's hardly noticeable connected nan achromatic brace I have.

The sizing pinch Margaux shoes is really benignant of difficult to get correct successful my experience, truthful heed this advice: Opting for a half size down but a wider size is apt to get you nan champion fit, unless you person peculiarly constrictive feet. I americium usually betwixt a 7.5 and 8 pinch beautiful mean width, but I sewage nan 7.5 Wide brace and they fresh for illustration a glove. The 8 was excessively big, and nan regular 7.5 was excessively tight. 

This loafer comes successful full and half sizes pinch narrow, medium, and wide fits. Margaux is besides known for its extended size range, pinch this brace coming successful sizes 3-14.

Best heeled: Frye Jean Loafers

The leather connected Frye's heeled loafers person a distressed effect that springiness you an expertly-styled vintage inspired look erstwhile paired pinch high-waisted flared pants. These person immoderate tallness to them, but nan wide guidelines of their 2.6-inch wedge heels makes them easy to locomotion in.  The Jean loafers are crafted pinch genuine calfskin leather and person elaborate stitching connected nan toe, saddle, and rear. Several reviewers claimed they ran large, and because leather does agelong pinch much wear, we urge you size down for this style.

Best budget: Naturalizer Cabaret Loafers

For a dressy footwear action connected a budget, Naturalizer's Cabaret style is simply a awesome woody among nan champion loafers for women. The leather is elastic and not excessively stiff, truthful they're comfy for agelong days. Plus, you tin almost ever find this brace connected waste successful various colors (but beware that sizes waste retired quickly each clip they get marked down).

After testing nan classical achromatic leather type of a akin pair, we recovered nan size floor plan to beryllium a small disconnected — this loafer is disposable successful half sizes pinch narrow, medium, and wide widths, but we urge to spell down a half size, arsenic they thin to tally a spot large. Overall, though, Naturalizer creates comfortable loafers pinch bully traction that you'll get a batch of mileage from. 

Best velvet: Birdies The Starling Flat

Birdies makes indoor-outdoor loafers for women that are arsenic comfy arsenic a regular brace of slippers. Several members of our squad are large fans of Birdies — erstwhile recreation editor Hannah and erstwhile elder location and room newsman Connie some person aggregate pairs. "For each pair, I had a little break-in play of a week aliases truthful wherever nan backmost of nan footwear rubbed up against my heel, but since then, it's molded good to my feet. I for illustration to deterioration them connected cooler days because arsenic comfortable arsenic nan cushioned insoles are, they tin make my feet sweat connected basking days," Connie said. 

Both Hannah and Connie opportunity to bid a half size up for nan correct fit, particularly if you're usually successful betwixt sizes. 

The champion socks to deterioration pinch loafers

You don't request to deterioration socks pinch each loafers — successful fact, slipper-like pairs specified arsenic Birdie's Starling loafers are champion worn barefoot. But if you're prone to sweaty feet aliases want an other furniture to deterioration successful acold weather, investing successful nan correct socks to deterioration pinch your loafers tin make a world of difference.

If you want to adhd padding to protect from blisters but you don't needfully want nan opposition of a sock, we propose immoderate seamless no-show socks. Another celebrated inclination pinch loafers is pairing them pinch socks that are an accessory unto themselves. Sheer socks — for illustration these tiny socks pinch hearts connected them aliases ruffle socks from Bombas — are awesome for adding a feminine flair to your shoes.