The Evolution of Women’s Moccasins. A History of Elegance.

How women’s moccasins have been dressed in the last decades

The evolution of women’s moccasins has been enormous. And in recent years they have become a staple in any wardrobe. We have seen how they have gone from being perceived as a shoe that reminded us of school to being recognised as a very elegant piece.

If you want to see the origin of moccasins or loafers, here you have a link to our blog post, “History of the Loafers”. There we dive into the history and we get to the inventors in the beautiful Norway at the beginning of the century.

Moccasins are for everyone

One of the basic ideas since the creation of this model and its development in the United States and Europe, is that moccasins were used by both men and women. Their versatility, style and comfort made them a truly unisex piece since their origin.

Loafers in Hollywood and in the office

It was easy in the 1930s and 1940s to see Hollywood actresses wearing penny loafers in the media. In fact, the development of a more professional and casual feminine aesthetic made loafers part of the modern woman’s wardrobe of that period. Their most usual combination when it came to dressing was with trousers of all cuts and lengths. And on the other hand, it was worn as a casual shoe by younger girls, both in this decade and in the following ones.

In the 1950s, the feminine style of the time turned to heels and pumps. But they would not be the only models. There are different lifestyles that are making their way. And the working and professional woman opens the range of her preferences to low shoes. Here, along with ballerinas, moccasins are going to be predominant. It is a model with a different aesthetic and absolutely modern, unisex and contemporary.

Adored by the film stars of the moment, it will seduce the new urban tribes.

Loafers and urban tribes

One of the first urban movements or subcultures to appear in the Western world were the Beatniks. And within their egalitarian ideas in terms of gender, the style will be in accordance with their postulates. Low shoes will be part of the beatnik girl’s way of dressing. And along with sandals and ballerinas, loafers appeared as another style of this movement.

From these first women who were so contemporary in their ideas and lives, part of their ethics and aesthetics were passed on to the following urban tribes. Although it is true that the young modettes of the sixties liked the low heel, as in the Mary Jane or the “granny shoes”. It was the hard mods and the first skin girls who made loafers their hallmark. And they were the first to wear them with trousers, dresses and mini skirts alike.

Meanwhile, in the world of work, loafers, both the classic penny loafers and the tassel loafers, were still very popular. And mostly with trousers, the evolution of women’s moccasins continued in both the 1960s and 1970s.

In the eighties, moccasins experienced an explosion in which they were worn by the new street style tribes and the various musical revivals, both mod and skin.

At the same time, due to American influence, they were seen among yuppies and very conservative social strata. At the same time, because of their comfort and durability, they were worn in schools by both sexes.

Loafers in the 21st century

And so in the following decades loafers continued to be worn by urban tribes and by fans of shoes without laces. At the same time, for the mainstream public, they were an option for casual wear, especially in summer. Cyclically, they had a certain resurgence, especially with the help of luxury brands, mainly Italian.

In this situation, in these first decades of the 21st century, together with the rise of the casual style, one of the elements that has made the strongest comeback have been the moccasins. All within this already centenary evolution of women’s moccasins. Curiously, as in the beginning, the trend came from the United States. We saw young people arriving from there, combining them with all kinds of styles, even with something that shocks us so much in Europe, sportswear. Comfortable, durable, easy to wear and easy to combine, it was logical that they would be a success at the beginning of the century. Their advantages over other models are clear. They have more body, they are suitable for all seasons, they withstand the cold and rain and they are a real pleasure to walk in.

Some tips for wearing moccasins today

When it comes to combining moccasins, the possibilities are endless. Let’s take a look at some possibilities.

With trousers. The classic way, regardless of colour or length, including shorts and shorts. They are perfect always and everywhere. With jeans in any colour or cut. And with cotton chinos or trousers of any material, colour and fit. A no-brainer.

 With skirts or dresses. In this case, the loafer gives a ballerina look with much more body. We particularly like them with a mini skirt or a pencil skirt. But even with maxi skirts or with more classic styles, they can be worn without any problem.

Our Women’s Loafers

At Beatnik, from the beginning we have had women’s loafers as one of the main elements in our collection. We go for the classic British style models, both the penny loafer with classic decoration and the tassel loafer with tassels.

As an example, here you have one of our favourite models, the Tammi Red burgundy tassel loafer. Classic style with a touch of colour.

And along with it, our women’s brown penny loafer, the Irma Chesnut

One of the most popular novelties of our last collection were the Irma Black and White two-tone loafers. Two basic tones very contrasted on a base full of classicism.

For several seasons now, one of our contributions has been to use the classic wide creeper style soles on moccasin uppers, to put height on the ground and add a much more forceful accent. We have seen that fashion magazines now point out that this type of sole is a trend, calling them track-soled moccasins. Regardless of fashions, we have two tassel loafers with technical soles

On the one hand, the tassel loafer Mary in black with an extra wide sole and a contrasting light brown rim.

And in the last collection, we present the Mary Red tassel loafer in red, in burgundy grain leather.

Do not hesitate and enjoy the evolution of women’s loafers this season.