Loafers go high-end and high-heeled

Looking at Christian Louboutin’s 4-inch high-heeled loafer in stores now, one wouldn’t guess that the classic style was inspired by Norwegian dairy farmers. Loafers have come a long way since they first surfaced seven decades ago, and this season designers are reinterpreting the classic in tons of ways.

The style dates to 1932, when the owner of a New Hampshire leather company saw an Esquire magazine photo of farmers wearing slip-on shoes in the cattle “loafing” area (where cows wait to be milked) at a Norwegian dairy. In 1936, John Bass created the version most of us grew up with. The “Weejun” (short for Norwegian) loafer is more widely known as the penny loafer because the hole across the vamp proved to be an easy spot to store a shiny coin. Dimes -- emergency pay phone change -- replaced pennies in the ‘50s and ‘60s. The shoes have endured as a preppy essential, adding a polished look to such outfits as power suits and prep school uniforms -- though there was a slight detour in the ‘80s, when men wore loafers with lightweight suits and no socks (think Don Johnson in a dove gray suit and bare ankles). And who can forget a one-gloved Michael Jackson wearing penny loafers with skinny floodwater slacks?

This season, the loafer has caught the zeitgeist, and there are inventive takes on the classic in a wide array of prices. From the runway at Dolce & Gabbana to those spiky Louboutins, they’re the style of the moment. Good timing for Cole Haan, which released a collection of hand-sewn penny loafers carrying a 1928 penny ($275) to commemorate the brand’s 80th anniversary this year.

Several designers have injected a pop of color. Marc by Marc Jacobs has a hot-pink patent leather loafer ($260), Tory Burch makes a bright orange version ($295) and Cole Haan mixes traditional and trendy by doing its classic penny loafer in a shiny teal. Tod’s adds a twist with exotic skins such as ostrich ($1,495), and Dolce & Gabbana is lining a high-heel patent-leather loafer with its signature leopard print ($750).

Though the loafer is generally a flat shoe, it translates as a pump or high heel for a more dressed-up look. Nine West has the Alimona ($79), a gunmetal gray pump with a penny loafer detail. Calvin Klein makes a version with a slightly lower heel ($98) and Max Studio adds a ‘40s flair to a mahogany-heeled loafer with a platform sole, stack heel and peep toe ($180). Such updates aren’t exactly what those Norwegian farmers had in mind, but they’re a stylish translation of a classic that’s trendy now -- and will always work as a wardrobe essential.

Magsaysay is a Times staff writer.

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