G.H. Bass Celebrates 85 Years of The Penny Loafer
Complete with a commemorative coin that sits inside the shoe’s front slot.
Since its creation in 1936, the humble Penny Loafer has become a staple in the world of footwear. Worn by everyone from musicians and artists, to politicians, the slip-on silhouette — which owes its roots to the local fishermen of Norway — is one of a few select shoes to have infiltrated as many subcultures as it has, and continues to do.
Now, to celebrate the silhouette’s 85 anniversary, G.H. Bass & Co has called upon friends of the brand to create a contemporary family album, which includes fashion director Catherine Hayward, designer Scott Simpson, artist Hetty Douglas and stylist Coco Mell; all of whom don their own beloved Weejuns.
G.H. Bass has also enlisted the help of London-based sign maker Ged Palmer to create a commemorative 85th anniversary coin, which neatly fits into the front slot of a classic loafer. Designed a nod to an era before smartphones and instant messaging, legend has it that Ivy League students used to store spare coins in the front slot of their loafers for payphones in the 1950s.
The G.H Bass & Co FW21 collection and commemorative coin will will be available from October 21 and will be available from the brand’s online webstore.
In other footwear news, Red Wing Heritage has given its Classic Moc Boot a GORE-TEX makeover.
