My 5 Favorite Summer Loafers You Can Totally Wear With Shorts

I’m all about boots in winter, but in summer, I am all about loafers. I own a million pairs that run the gamut from dressy box calf to chonky casual, and I’m writing to disabuse you of the notion that loafers are too smart or preppy to wear with shorts and a t-shirt.

It’s true that most loafers kind of expect you to wear a collared shirt with them, but when recently admiring my mountain of loafers, I realized I had a lot of models you can dress all the way down.

So, as part of my mission to bring quality footwear to more guys, I’ve compiled this list of favorite summer loafers that are high quality, resoleable, and still absolutely appropriate with shorts and a tee. I’ll also tell you the criteria to look for when trying to decide if a loafer can be in this category of breezy casual.

Our Top Picks for Casual Men’s Loafers

• Best Summer Loafer Overall: Grant Stone’s Unlined Traveler Loafer
• Best Value Casual Loafer: Meermin’s Sway
• Best Lightweight Casual Loafer: Astorflex’s Dartflex
• Best USA-Made Casual Loafer: Oak Street Bootmakers’ Beefroll
• Best Travel Loafer: Astorflex’s Patnoflex
• Also Consider: Sabah’s Turkish Leather Slippers

How I Picked My Casual Summer Loafers

Here’s what I emphasized when deciding if a loafer is ideal for casual wear in warmer months: the toe shape, breathability, leather, outsole, construction (ie. durability), and overall comfort.

The Last

First and foremost is the “last,” which more or less refers to the shape of the shoe and how it fits. A last is the foot-shaped mold that shoes are built on.

Generally speaking, dressy shoes are more slim and tapered, and casual shoes are rounder and roomier. I looked for a comfortable toebox, and gentle contouring over angular looks. I also find that loafers with more volume (height over flatness) look better with shorts.

Leather Lining

I didn’t disqualify all lined loafers from this list, but I prefer an unlined loafer for casual summer wear. That’s because the more material you’ve got in the loafer, the less it breathes and the harder it is to wear with socks.

Also note that if a loafer is lined, it doesn’t just mean there’s another layer of leather — there’s also a ton of glue between the upper and the lining, which further messes with breathability.

Leather Type

I prefer suede for these kinds of loafers because it’s more breathable and casual.

Many leathers, especially calfskin, don’t serve either of these purposes, but there are also plenty of leathers that are plenty casual, but not super breathable.

A popular example is Chromexcel, an oily casual leather that’s common on hardwearing boots. It’s also more geared toward repelling the elements than allowing a lot of air inside your shoes.

Leather Soles

Most loafers have leather soles, and they should: it’s more breathable and flexible than hard rubber, so it’s more comfortable in the heat and when you’re wearing thin (or no) socks.

Natural rubber, like crepe or Lactae Hevea, are also decent options for this use case.

Durability

I’ll always recommend resoleable footwear when possible. Such complex construction tends to make a shoe stiffer and heavier, but many brands have found ways to make casual loafers that are both resoleable and flexible.

To sum up: since we’re talking about summer loafers and not winter boots, I’m emphasizing breathability, lightness, and flexibility over water resistance.

1) Best Summer Loafer: Grant Stone’s Unlined Traveler

• Unlined suede + leather sole = superb breathability
• Fantastically versatile design
• Unusually durable Goodyear welt build for infinite resoles
• Two widths and lots of half sizes
• Great customer service, fast shipping and exchanges
• $395

I was pumped when Grant Stone finally released their Unlined Traveler Penny loafer. I’d been wearing their regular, leather-lined version for years, and liked them so much that my sisters and I bought Dad a pair for Christmas:

But the Unlined Traveler takes what I consider the market’s most versatile loafer and optimizes it for summer by swapping the Traveler’s tough boot leather and lining for porous, breezy unlined suede. Combine that with a breathable leather sole, and I couldn’t come up with a better loafer for summer.

With a round-but-not-too-round toe and high side walls, it’s an “all-rounder” that can handle shorts or a sports coat with equal aplomb. They don’t skimp on the materials, either, using suede from the world’s most highly regarded producers of the stuff, CF Stead in the UK. (I visited them!)

What I like about Grant Stone’s Traveler:

• Very versatile design that can skew casual or business casual
• Unusually wide range of sizes and widths
• Great customer service and fast shipping
• Optimized for breathability
• Made with the world’s most highly regarded suede

Downsides but not dealbreakers

• Uncommonly sturdy and durable build makes them super longlasting, but a little stiffer than the other loafers on this list
• Pricy compared to others on this list, even the American made ones

2) Best Value Casual Penny Loafer: Meermin Mallorca’s Sway

• Roomier and more structured than most summer loafers
• Excellent value for Goodyear welted shoes with name-brand leathers
• $220

Meermin Mallorca is a Spanish brand well known for solid construction at an attractive price. I visited their New York store to look at their famous Chelsea boots and range of kudu leathers, but they may be best known for their wide range of stylish loafers.

I’ve worn their casual-but-pointier Nova loafers and a-bit-too-narrow Tassel loafers, but the newer Sway model is the best for casual wear, especially with shorts: it has that roomy toe, but it also has more volume than your unstructured summer loafers (that’s the Nova) because it’s lined with sheepskin.

The Sway’s leather lining might hamper the breathability just a tad, but it’s nonetheless breezier and lighter weight than pricier loafers that have thicker leather underfoot. You still get a Goodyear welted loafer for under $250 that’s made with suede from CF Stead, making their value unmatched.

What I like about Meermin’s Sway:

• Incredible value
• More voluminous than many unstructured summer loafers, making them work well with shorts
• Less restrictive fit than most European loafers
• Available in high quality, name brand leathers

Downsides but not dealbreakers

• UK sizing can be confusing (subtract 1.5 from your Brannock with these)
• They’re lined, which you might not prefer for summer wear (if you want unlined, consider their only-slightly-slimmer Nova loafer)
• The leather (both upper and underfoot) is fairly thin: good for summer weight and breathability, not quite so great for durability. Choose your poison!

3) Best Lightweight Casual Loafers: Astorflex’s Dartflex

• Breathable design from leather sole and lack of lining
• Lightweight, flexible build is easy to break in
• Lightweight yet resoleable
• $298

Astorflex is a family owned brand that’s been making shoes outside of Milan since the 19th century and today is stocked by many esteemed retailers, like Leffot in New York City.

Their products range from boots to derbies, but they all emphasize casual good looks, atypically wide toes, and an unusual type of resoleable construction called “ideal stitch” that keeps the shoe light and flexible.

The combination of an unlined upper, lightweight build, leather sole, full grain uppers, and a nice, roomy toe — unusual for Italians — make these excellent loafers for summer.

The main downside is they don’t come in half sizes. I’m a half size myself and sized down, and I didn’t have an issue.

What I like about Astorflex Dartflex

• Wide and curvy toe works well casually
• Full grain leather options allow for dressing up
• Unlined, no midsole, leather outsole = great breathability
• Made in a family-owned Italian workshop
• Rare balance of lightweight and resoleable

Downsides but not dealbreakers

• I’d prefer a suede option for peak summer vibes
• No half sizes, but:

FYI: 2 Tips for Loose Loafers

If your loafers feel a bit loose, don’t run and buy heel pads or toe fillers yet. A loafer’s fit actually depends a lot more on the instep, the area on top of your foot near your ankle.

Spend ten bucks on these tongue pads from Pedag, a German brand. I have a low instep and this simple purchase has allowed me to wear tons of loafers and Chelsea boots that were once too loose for me. Total game changer.

4) Best USA-Made Casual Loafer: Oak Street Bootmakers’ Beefroll

• Handsewn in the United States
• Unlined with a leather sole = great breathability
• “Beefroll” design makes it unambiguously casual
• Rare genuine handsewn construction
• $348

One of my favorite American footwear brands is Oak Street Bootmakers, who balance high quality, versatile, and unpretentious as well as anyone.

I’ve worn many of their boots, but the reason their loafers are so important is that they’re made with a rare and vanishing form of shoemaking called genuine handsewn moccasin construction.

You can see how it’s made in this trip I made to a workshop in Maine, but long story short: imagine standing on a single piece of leather, pulling it up over your foot, and sewing it on top. When your foot is cradled by a seamless piece of leather like this, it wears in like nothing else, with many considering it the most comfortable kind of footwear.

What I like about Oak Street’s Loafer

• This genuine handsewn moccasin construction is a vanishing artform in shoemaking — and very comfortable
• Made in New England with American leather from Horween
• Unlined with a leather sole is ideal for summer

Downsides but not dealbreakers

• No options in suede, my favorite summer leather
• Handsewn apron and chunky beefrolls give it a more preppy vibe that some might not love

5) Best Travel Loafer: Astorflex’s Patnoflex

• Sometimes called a Venetian loafer or slipper
• Lightweight (the lightest on this list) and unlined — ideal for breathability.
• Simple, lightweight, and extremely light and flexible build
• $198

I couldn’t finish this list without an honorable mention for The Patnoflex, an enormously popular option that was designed with air travel in mind.

That produced a Venetian style loafer that’s extra light and flexible, so it wound up taking off as a popular summer loafer for guys that shy away from the traditional moccasin style of the penny loafer.

Unstructured and feather light, it’s a surprisingly versatile loafer that works in plenty of casual and smart casual occasions — plenty of guys pair them with lightweight suits for summer weddings.

What I like about Astorflex’s Patnoflex:

• Extremely breathable design
• Feather-light weight
• Very flexible, minimalist construction
• Under $200

Downsides but not dealbreakers

• May be seen as more casual than the classic penny loafer
• Some guys might prefer a more substantial feel

Also Consider: Sabah’s Turkish Leather Slippers

• Handmade in Turkey
• Huge range of leathers
• $210

This might be controversial in an article that’s ostensibly about loafers, but I thought these massively popular Turkish-style leather slippers deserved a shoutout in a list of versatile summer slip-ons.

Sabah modernized this traditional Turkish slipper by making it easy to order and available in a tremendous range of leathers to suit absolutely any use case, from somber black to playful leopard prints.

I was skeptical at first, but as you can see below, I quickly found countless ways to style these slip ons — and the extra wide opening and unlined build made them exceptionally easy to wear without socks.

What I like about Sabah’s Slippers

• Surprisingly versatile; easily moves from casual to smart casual
• Some two dozen color options
• Actually easy to wear without socks
• Very, very light and flexible

Downsides but not dealbreakers

• The sizing is tricky; be sure to size down
• Ultra simple construction offers little arch support
• Not ideal for days with lots of walking

How to Wear Loafers with Casual Outfits

• Wear a wider loafer (they’re all over this article) if wearing shorts or casual outfits
• Suede is the most casual upper
• Waxy pull up leathers like Chromexcel also work
• Lean on smart casual looks over streetwear/workwear kinds of casual

Like I’ve spent this whole article saying: loafers are deceptively versatile. There are also more kinds of loafers than you might have thought, but if you’re planning to wear them with shorts, the foolproof choice is a suede penny loafer with a wide toe, which I emphasized on this list.

There are plenty of other loafers that are easy to wear casually, like the wonderful tassel loafer, but they’re harder to wear with shorts. They can be great with jeans and chinos, but many find that they become overwhelmingly preppy as soon as they’re worn with shorts.

Despite what it might look like, I’m like most guys, in that I’d rather think less about my outfit. If that sounds like you, and if you want loafers that work as well with shorts as they do with jeans, go with a brown suede penny loafer.

Can You Wear Loafers With Shorts?

Loafers are an easy way to make any outfit look a little more put together — including fits with shorts. The main thing to remember, again, is to pick loafers that are fairly wide in the toe like the ones on this list.

That’s the first priority; the second is to try to find one with a bit more volume, like the picks up top from Grant Stone and Meermin.

You should also ensure your clothing isn’t too baggy; loafers are classic casual, not the modern streetwear kind of casual.

The sockless look, whether literal or achieved with no show socks, does look better with shorts. That’s one reason why this list emphasized breathable models so much.

But the sockless look can be pretty uncomfortable if you’re doing a lot of walking, so if you want to wear actual socks with loafers and shorts, you’ve got one option: white crew socks.

Wrapping Up

It took me a ton of time to find all these pictures of me wearing all these loafers but I think I’ve managed to show you that I’m a dude who has worn a ton of loafers in a ton of different ways. I know how to pick the right one for any occasion and any temperature, and I’m really confident that this list shows the best casual loafers for summer.

I considered the toe shape, breathability, leather, outsole, construction, weight, and flexibility to make these choices. Everyone has their personal preferences, but I’m confident there is a perfect pair of loafers for you here.