About Tassel Loafer: It was actually inspired by Oxford shoes

As a type of loafer, many people may think that Tassel Loafer and Penny Loafer are from the same family, or that the tassels on the upper of Tassel Loafer are classic elements from the 1920s. However, the birth of this classic shoe is actually due to a gorgeous Oxford shoe made in Europe.

Originated from a pair of gorgeous Oxford shoes

The story goes back to after the end of World War II. Paul Lukas, a Hungarian-American actor who had won an Oscar for Best Actor, had just made a name for himself at the time. He bought a pair of Oxford shoes with tassels on the ends of the shoelaces from Europe, which made him very satisfied. After returning to the United States, he asked the then well-known shoe factory Farkas & Kovacs to make a similar pair of shoes for him, and required that the tassels be integrated with the shoe body.

When F&K's finished products did not meet his requirements, he turned to two other shoe factories and made the same request: Lefcourt in Manhattan and Morris Bootmakers in Beverly Hills, but both shoe factories turned to Alden in Massachusetts for help.

Mr. Arthur Tarlow, the president of Alden at the time, accepted the challenge and thought he could come up with a better design. So he created an unprecedented shoe style: he put laces and tassels on a loafer that was easy to put on and take off, simplifying the original complex design of the Oxford shoe, which surprised Paul Lukas.

Paul Lukas' reaction made Arthur Tarlow realize that this new shoe model possessed the elements of leisure, elegance, comfort and other elements required by contemporary society, and was likely to become an unprecedented best-seller. Therefore, he invested a lot of effort in experiments and finally put the Tassel Loafer on the production line in the 1950s. Two years later, this shoe became popular all over New York.

Becoming a politicized tool

To some extent, Tassel Loafer is indeed related to Penny Loafer, and it can even be said that they are a successor to Penny Loafer. There is a saying that after World War II, the group of students who once led the Ivy League trend were about to enter the business world. They enjoyed the lightness of Penny Loafer, but generally believed that it was no longer enough to meet their needs. This group of elites actively sought shoes that could match their status and maintain comfort. Therefore, the hot sales of Tassel Loafer can be said to be a combination of time, place and people.

In the 1980s, when the smart and capable image was very popular, Tassel Loafer almost took over the American legal profession and became a must-have item for every lawyer. In France in the mid-1980s, young right-wingers also liked to use this shoe to express their disgust for the socialist government. For this group of people, this shoe, which originated in the United States, symbolized the prosperous free market in the United States and was a perfect representation of a personal declaration. However, this dress statement was soon imitated by the left. After that, the left abandoned other shoes that symbolized the proletariat and began to wear Tassel Loafers, "because it could help them dine in better restaurants," said John Vinocur, editor-in-chief of the International Herald Tribune.

Although the real reason is unknown, perhaps because of this, Tassel Loafer began to have another layer of pan-political meaning beyond textured shoes. Among them, the one that fashion critics like to mention most is the famous quote that appeared during the 1992 US presidential election. The then US President and presidential candidate George Bush used Tassel Loafer to blast his opponent Clinton's supporters as a group of calculating people who were completely untrustworthy.

(Original sentence: Bill Clinton was supported by “every lawyer that ever wore a tasseled loafer.” )

Tassel Loafer's dressing rules

Due to the attacks between the main customer groups, a classic pair of shoes was caught in the crossfire and suffered an unjustifiable wrong. The Tassel Loafer can definitely be said to be the most innocent fashion item in history. Fortunately, it is easy to put on and take off, and the exquisite beauty given by the tassels has surpassed the test of time, making it always a style favored by tasteful men. It allows handsome men to relax without having to settle for rough casual shoes and continue to maintain an elegant image.

When choosing Tassel Loafers, in addition to the last type, leather color and detailed design, there are many other key points to note: Even loafers, which expose the skin, have seasonal distinctions. If you mainly wear them in the summer, you can choose suede or shoes without lining. Especially in Taiwan, the hot season is very long. Having a pair of soft, light and breathable shoes can make you feel much better. In winter, buying shoes with lining will be a relatively good investment, because the shoes from professional shoe factories, although the style design is more classic, the workmanship is definitely not sloppy.

Tassel Loafer is very popular among the general public because it is very versatile and can be worn with a T-shirt and jeans, or with a three-piece suit. However, in order to keep such a pair of good shoes with you for a long time, you also need to know the correct maintenance method.

Although many gentlemen's clothing enthusiasts tend to wear Tassel Loafers barefoot, in fact, foot sweat and trapped heat will reduce the life of the leather. Unless you are diligent in maintenance or have multiple pairs of shoes to rotate, it is best to wear a pair of invisible sailing socks to ensure comfort and extend the life of the shoes.