The Best Loafers For Women To Wear This Fall, Tested By People Who Walk A Lot

Loafers are bound to be on your radar, even if you’re only casually watching this year’s fall style trends. Just like the perfect pair of flats, the best loafers for women are rare in their sheer versatility and practicality. They put the finishing touch on any workwear outfit, or add a distinguished flair to a simple pair of jeans.

We recommend Everlane’s Modern Loafer first because the leather was easy to break in, even after walking in them for miles on concrete. If you want something with the comfort of a sneaker, Vionic’s Uptown Loafer has a flexible footbed and deep heel cups for stability.

Best lug sole: Madewell Bradley Lugsole Loafer – See at Madewell
Get the lift of a platform and the comfort of a cloud thanks to the cushy insoles of these lugsole loafers from Madewell.

Best classic penny: G.H. Bass Whitney Weejuns – See at G.H. Bass
A classic penny loafer will always be in style. G.H. Bass makes some of the highest quality leather loafers for women we’ve tested.

Best suede: Margaux Penny Loafer – See at Margaux
Margaux is one of our team’s favorite brands for fine leather footwear, and these suede penny loafers get extra points for their wide range of sizes. 

Best heeled: Frye Jean Loafers – See at Neiman Marcus
These block-heeled loafers are easy to walk in and offer a distinct vintage look when you pair them with high-waisted flared trousers.

Best budget: Naturalizer Cabaret Loafers – See at Amazon
If you’re looking for loafers under $100, the Naturalizer Cabaret Loafers are an elegant and comfortable choice.

Best velvet: Birdies The Starling Flat – See at Birdies
These cushioned velvet loafers come in a wide range of colors and patterns, with an exterior inspired by classic smoking slippers.

Best overall: Everlane The Modern Loafer

If you’re as big a fan of an Everlane as we are, you might remember its original loafer, which was one of the styles that first put the brand on the map. Years later, they reintroduced our top pick for the best loafers for women with an updated look and fit, and the new version is definitely even better than the old.

The toe is slightly more rounded so your toes have more room to wiggle, and the leather is a bit more flexible. They’ve never given me a blister, which is more than I can say for the old pair. A stacked wood heel gives them a casual vibe, and the rubberized sole prevents slipping and sliding on slick floors. 

The new loafers are supple, round-toed, and flexible, but not so bendy that they feel like flats or smoking slippers. They have good arch support, and the rubber soles have way more traction than the old version of the shoe.

For sizing, these come in whole and half sizes and they fit true-to-size. I wouldn’t recommend them if you have particularly wide feet, but if you’re usually in between sizes, go a half size up for the best fit.

Read our full Everlane Modern Loafer review.

Best for walking: Vionic Uptown Loafer

Best lug sole: Madewell Bradley Lugsole Loafer

Lug sole loafers are a great way to add some height without uncomfortable heels. This pair has an almost 2-inch platform, which makes it a great choice for wearing with pants that are just a little too long. They’re also is padded with Madewell’s signature CloudLift padding, which provides a cushioned insole so you can’t walk in them.

Best classic penny: G.H. Bass Whitney Weejuns

There are several versions of G.H. Bass‘ Whitney Weejuns (a super chunky lug-sole pair, a ’90s-inspired platform pair, a croc-effect pair, the list goes on), but nothing can beat the classic version of these best loafers for women. Though they take a bit of time to break in, especially at the heel, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how comfy and supportive the insole is. Plus, the traditional penny loafer look will never go out of style. 

In terms of sizing, these come in whole and half sizes, and I recommend going true to your usual size. If you’re in between, you’ll want to size up, especially if you plan on wearing them with socks.

Best for wide feet: Vivaia Samantha Walker Loafer

Best packable: Rothy’s The Loafer

Read more in our full Rothy’s flats review.

Best for avoiding blisters: Sam Edelman Loraine Bit Loafers

The Sam Edelman Loraine Bit Loafers come in more than 20 colors, from classic neutrals to bold choices like bright lemony yellow, jade green, or pink croc-effect. Each season, you’ll find new colors and textures introduced. 

The leather loafers for women are just structured enough to hold their shape, but not so stiff that they’ll blister you out of the box. I was able to wear mine for the first time for a whole day (including commuting from the suburbs to Manhattan and back) with no discomfort. They have a small amount of cushioning — like enough that I would definitely bring these on a walking-heavy vacation. 

As for sizing, they come in whole and half sizes with a few colors offering a wide width. I am often in between a 7.5 and 8, and I opted for the 8 this time, but I easily could have fit in the 7.5. The leather will stretch and conform to your feet as you wear them, so I’d recommend going a half size down if you are already in between sizes. Otherwise, I’d opt for your usual size.

Best mid-range luxury: Nomasei Nono Loafer

“A great pair of loafers should be just like a perfect pair of denim: deliciously comfortable, wearable with just about anything, and a dependable staple for year-round wear. Founded by a duo who met while working at Chloé in Paris, Nomasei’s luxe Parisian-inspired Nono loafers fit the bill precisely, albeit for a pretty penny at just under $500. But even after comparing these to my platform pair from Gucci, I’d opt for this style almost every time (and the Gucci pair cost twice as much).

The leather feels sturdy and thick yet buttery and luxurious, and while they do fit a little stiff at first, they break in nicely with a few wears. The arch support is also substantial, making them comfy to walk in (at least once the leather on the back of the heel softens up a bit). I got the all-black pair, though the brand is known for its bold bicolor and tricolor designs. I think the black will keep these feeling timeless despite the very trendy gold hand medallions, but if I had an unlimited budget, I’d be nabbing them in every color combo possible. I would follow the brand’s advice of going a half size down — I personally went true-to-size with my initial order, and they were too big, so I had to return them and reorder.” — Sally Kaplan, executive editor

Best luxury: Gucci Brixton Horsebit Convertible Loafer

If you’ve thought long and hard, and you know that designer loafers for women are what your heart desires, get the Gucci Brixton Horsebit Convertible Loafers. They’re pricey, sure, but these fantastic women’s loafers will last you a lifetime. Our former senior style and beauty editor, Maria Del Russo, has had her pair of Brixtons for five years and says they’re the most versatile shoe she owns. She credits this to the fold-down heel that lets you wear them like mules, so you’re essentially getting two shoes in one. The workmanship is apparent the longer you wear them, too. Maria has gotten these loafers re-soled twice, but the leather and hardware have both stood the test of time.

The one drawback to the Brixtons is that after many years, the fold-down heels have turned a slightly more faded shade of black than the rest of the heel. You can take them to a cobbler or use a leather conditioner to fix that, though. 

As for sizing, these come in whole and half sizes, but be careful to check the sizing chart since they’re usually listed in Italian sizing, which is different from European sizing. We recommend going up if you’re in between sizes.

Best platform: Camper Milah Loafer

These super shiny leather loafers have a 2-inch platform heel and lightweight EVA soles — less clunky, more chunky. I won’t lie, breaking these in gave me some blisters around my heels (something to be expected with new leather). To amend this, I wear mine with no-show socks.

Best driving loafer: M.Gemi The Felize

The M.Gemi Felize loafers are some of the most versatile and well-made shoes former Insider Reviews senior reporter, Mara Leighton, owns. After a year of testing them multiple times per week for our M.Gemi review, she says they’ve held up well (no wrinkles along the top, minimal wear along the underside of the toes and heel). However, she notes that sizing isn’t perfect.

“I ordered my true size, and they’ve grown looser and more custom-fit as moccasins do over time. But, even so, the top is still snug; I couldn’t layer anything thicker than a light sock with my pair.” She says that if you’re in between sizes, or you’ve ever had to size up in shoes, you should go up at least a half size in these.

Check out our full M.Gemi Felize Loafer review. 

Best suede: Margaux Penny Loafer

I’m a big fan of Margaux’s flats, and their line of loafers for women are even more comfortable. The suede is soft and easy to break in, and there’s a bit of cushioning on the insole that makes them comfortable for long days out. The construction is also better than most other suede loafers I’ve tried, so points to Margaux for quality.

I wouldn’t recommend wearing them on a super long walk, but they’re otherwise comfy for work, weekends, errands, and the like. You can expect the suede to crease across the foot pretty quickly, but that’s the case for most suede shoes. You’ll see it more in the colorful pairs but it’s barely noticeable on the black pair I have.

The sizing with Margaux shoes is actually kind of hard to get right in my experience, so heed this advice: Opting for a half size down but a wider size is likely to get you the best fit, unless you have particularly narrow feet. I am usually between a 7.5 and 8 with pretty average width, but I got the 7.5 Wide pair and they fit like a glove. The 8 was too big, and the regular 7.5 was too tight. 

This loafer comes in whole and half sizes with narrow, medium, and wide fits. Margaux is also known for its extensive size range, with this pair coming in sizes 3-14.

Best heeled: Frye Jean Loafers

The leather on Frye’s heeled loafers have a distressed effect that give you an expertly-styled vintage inspired look when paired with high-waisted flared pants. These have some height to them, but the wide base of their 2.6-inch wedge heels makes them easy to walk in.  The Jean loafers are crafted with genuine calfskin leather and have detailed stitching on the toe, saddle, and rear. Several reviewers claimed they ran large, and because leather does stretch with more wear, we recommend you size down for this style.

Best budget: Naturalizer Cabaret Loafers

For a dressy shoe option on a budget, Naturalizer’s Cabaret style is a great deal among the best loafers for women. The leather is flexible and not too stiff, so they’re comfy for long days. Plus, you can almost always find this pair on sale in various colors (but beware that sizes sell out quickly every time they get marked down).

After testing the classic black leather version of a similar pair, we found the size chart to be a little off — this loafer is available in half sizes with narrow, medium, and wide widths, but we recommend to go down a half size, as they tend to run a bit large. Overall, though, Naturalizer creates comfortable loafers with good traction that you’ll get a lot of mileage from. 

Best velvet: Birdies The Starling Flat

Birdies makes indoor-outdoor loafers for women that are as comfy as a regular pair of slippers. Several members of our team are big fans of Birdies — former travel editor Hannah and former senior home and kitchen reporter Connie both have multiple pairs. “For each pair, I had a brief break-in period of a week or so where the back of the shoe rubbed up against my heel, but since then, it’s molded well to my feet. I prefer to wear them on cooler days because as comfortable as the cushioned insoles are, they can make my feet sweat on hot days,” Connie said. 

Both Hannah and Connie say to order a half size up for the right fit, especially if you’re usually in between sizes. 

The best socks to wear with loafers

You don’t need to wear socks with all loafers — in fact, slipper-like pairs such as Birdie’s Starling loafers are best worn barefoot. But if you’re prone to sweaty feet or want an extra layer to wear in cold weather, investing in the right socks to wear with your loafers can make a world of difference.

If you want to add padding to protect from blisters but you don’t necessarily want the contrast of a sock, we suggest some seamless no-show socks. Another popular trend with loafers is pairing them with socks that are an accessory unto themselves. Sheer socks — like these cute socks with hearts on them or ruffle socks from Bombas — are great for adding a feminine flair to your shoes.