How the Bass Weejun Loafer Became Central to a New Fashion Moment

From the runway to the red carpet to the street, there’s one shoe that’s dominating 2026” the cool and classic loafer.

While the enduring style never really fell out of favor, it is more relevant than ever — thanks to the dress shoe comeback, Gen Z’s interest in the look and innovation in the category.

The prep revival and “Love Story” effect continue to drive desire for the traditional penny loafer, while new iterations of the style — like the pleated version originated by The Row and the now-ubiquitous soft loafer — are generating tons of heat this summer.

While many brands, from luxury to mass, are benefiting from the loafer craze, there’s still only one true originator: G.H. Bass’ now-iconic Weejun style, introduced in 1936.

Celebrity stylist Sam Woolf dubbed the Weejun loafer a “staple in so many people’s wardrobes because of its iconic classic design.”

“Its influence has become so impactful because it’s truly versatile,” Woolf told FN. “Both males and females of all ages and career professions in both corporate and creative fields, whether it be a casual, business, or dressed-up look, it works with all.”

Jian DeLeon, men’s fashion director at Nordstrom, called the Weejun a “quintessential American” loafer. “It’s synonymous with Ivy style and has been worn by icons of classic style like JFK, and iconoclasts like Michael Jackson, whose white socks and Weejuns look from the ‘Thriller’ video still inspires modern style rebels,” he said.

Just months after the Weejun’s debut in 1936, G.H. Bass & Co. was named the official manufacturer of the footwear silhouette in the Americas. The shoes were described at the time as a slip-on style that Norwegian farmers and fisherman wore. (Those early wearers also inspired the Weejun name.)

As is the case with many fashion trends, the Weejun became more widely adopted in Europe, notably in the French Riviera. Later, socialites in Palm Beach, Fla., embraced the look.

“Weejuns are neither shoes, moccasins, nor slippers, but are a sort of combination of all three, and are used for sports, [the] beach and for lounging,” a 1937 WWD article said. The original price for a pair: $6.50.

Accounts differ as to how the shoe became known as the “penny loafer,” but legend has it that people tucked pennies into the front band to make a phone call. In the 1940s, a call cost 2 cents, or a penny per shoe. Another theory? It was just a quirky fashion trend of the time.

No matter its naming origins, the penny loafer rapidly became the shoemaker’s biggest hit. By 1951, the style accounted for 60 percent of Bass moccasin sales. Throughout the 1950s and ’60s, the company couldn’t have gotten better exposure. Actors Gene Kelly, James Dean and Paul Newman were seen wearing the Weejun, as were Elvis Presley, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. President John F. Kennedy was also photographed wearing a pair on a boating expedition.

The penny loafer style waned in the early 1970s, but began to find life again when designers took inspiration from the look and styled the shoe among their collections. Geoffrey Beene famously showed loafers in the late ’70s, as did Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein in the ’80s.

But the Weejun’s big return to the spotlight came in 1983, during Jackson’s glory days on the stage.

In more recent decades, collaborations have helped Bass Weejuns stay in the style conversation through partnerships with relevant tastemakers in the fashion culture scene.

Case in point: In 2007, Jeffrey Kalinsky, founder of the Jeffrey boutiques, produced exclusive styles with G.H. Bass. The men’s beef-roll design in three colors hit stores in December and featured a silver coin in the keeper.

Kalinsky said at the time that he approached the company based on a gut feeling he had of the look. “When I think of a preppy loafer, I think of Bass,” he said in an interview in January 2008. Kalinsky noted at the time that he expected to attract men who had never owned a pair, as well as members of the 40-and-over crowd, who wore Bass in their youth.

“It” girls like Chloë Sevigny also got in on the trend during the 2000s, launching a footwear collection with Bass with another now-defunct trendy New York retailer, Opening Ceremony, in 2009. The unisex shoe offering included a two-tone penny loafer and a modified spectator boot in cranberry suede with leather insets.

Sevigny, who grew up in Connecticut wearing Bass Weejuns, told WWD in 2009 that the shoes are “just classic, great little shoes” and are “comfortable to wear.”

Fast forward to 2023, and the Weejun loafer accounted for some 80 percent of the brand’s overall sales. Marlene McDade, vice president of business development and global licensing at G.H. Bass parent company G-III Apparel Group, said in an interview at the time that the Weejuns are the “gateway to the world of Bass.”

Now, 90 years later, and with the help of Aldo Group, the Weejun loafer is still influencing an entire category as it gains traction among new audiences.

Beth Goldstein, footwear and accessories advisor at Circana, noted that there has been “some pockets of growth” for loafer sales at retail stores between January and May this year.

In men’s shoes, the better, bridge, and contemporary segments are together up about 15 percent from the same time period last year, Goldstein reported. This represents about one-third of men’s loafer sales.

As for women’s, Goldstein noted that bridge and designer styles together also are up about 15 percent from the same time last year, and also about one-third of women’s loafer sales.

These numbers align with luxury retailers like MyTheresa, which have played up the loafer as consumers move beyond the fashion sneaker. In April, for example, Sophie Jordan, menswear buying director at the luxury e-commerce site, told FN that loafers were the company’s bestselling leather category for men this spring, with strong double-digit growth.

Loafers from brands like Tom Ford and Gucci continued to be the key footwear category for men at luxury site Mr. Porter. Buying director Daniel Todd noted that the shoe has “always been a menswear staple but have really gained more traction in this ‘post sneaker world.’”

The silhouette is also key for Bloomingdale’s customers, fashion director Marissa Galante Frank said. “As fashion continues to embrace a more polished, intentional way of dressing, the loafer remains especially relevant,” she described. “Designers keep reworking it with updated proportions and luxe materials, proving that a true classic can always feel fresh.”

And social media has been a pivotal part of the style’s resurgence, with influencers rallying around the look at all price points.

According to data from e-commerce analytics firm Charm.io, revenue across shoe products on U.S. TikTok Shop containing the word “loafer” has increased by 225 percent from July 2025 through June 2026, showing the increased sales for this shoe type over time. More specifically, U.S. TikTok Shop revenue for loafers reached $1.3 million in June, down from its peak of $1.4 million in April, but up from just $387,228 in July 2025.

No matter how the trend evolves, Aldo Group says it’s critical to make sure the original G.H. Bass Weejun stays authentic.

“The franchise is something that we really protect,” said Jonathan Frankel, president of Aldo Product Services, a division of Aldo Group. “That [means] little tweaks to comfort, fit and the wearability of the shoes. We’re not trying to make big changes, and in fact, the last thing that our end customer or our retailers want is to see a dramatic change to something that’s been done so right for so long.”

Jake Woolf, men’s fashion writer, editor and influencer, added that the Weejun is a true original. “It’s really difficult to overstate its influence on not just the footwear category but American style in general,” he said. “It could be argued that the penny loafer has become the quintessential shoe to represent American style, having been worn everywhere from college campuses to boardrooms and beyond. If I had only one pair of shoes in my arsenal, a pair of penny loafers would carry me through every setting other than the gym. And it all started with G.H. Bass.”