Forget the equinox; spring has already arrived in fashion circles, for footwear at least. Gone are the bovver boots the Insta crowd wore with bare legs all winter. Instead, it’s time for something a little lighter, but only just.
The latest must-have footwear is the lug sole loafer or LSL, a commuter-friendly It-shoe. It may not have a heel but it is far from a dainty ballet flat. The LSL might remind you of your school shoes if you bought yours at Clarks in the Nineties.
That’s right — heavy soles will be squashing blossoms under foot this spring. LSLs have appeared on designer catwalks and been worn on the front row. Now copycat versions are springing up on the high street.
Those wouldn’t do for the Milan set, who get theirs at Prada. Its chocolate loafers were on several pairs of influential feet at the shows in February. They cost as much as £1,240 and come in black, white, red or crystal bedecked. Yes, really. Bright versions are popular with customers of the high street retailer Dune. It reported on Tuesday that its best-selling item online the previous week was a Kermit green loafer.
At Russell & Bromley the buying team has introduced two styles of LSL, with a view to offer even chunkier platform versions in autumn.
Advertisement
Gucci first made loafers a must-have in 2015, when every fashion editor owned a pair of its Jordaan style.
Then, they were sleek and slimline; 2022’s have more attitude, much like the girls with the stompiest pairs at school.