'Billionaire Loafer' Worth It? Loro Piana Summer Walk Review

#loropiana #loafers #notsponsored

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Gentleman's Gazette

00:00 Loro Piana Summer Walk Loafers Introduction

Currently one of the hottest hot-weather shoes in the fashion sphere with a sweltering price of about $1000. We’ll be critiquing this pair of shoes to help you decide if the Summer Walk loafer is worth its price.

00:41 History of Loro Piana & Summer Walks

The modern Loro Piana company began in 1924 and within a few decades had established a reputation for importing rare and luxurious fabrics.

In 2005, Loro Piana debuted as part of its “Walk” line the Summer Walk loafer. It remained relatively niche until Loro Piana began aggressively pushing its casual footwear around 2019. The Summer Walk has since become a ubiquitous status symbol and or associated with the super-wealthy that it has been dubbed A Billionaire Favorite.

04:14 Summer Walk Loafer Components

The Summer Walk is modeled after typical plain-front loafers with a relaxed fit and construction similar to moccasins. Loro Piana markets the Summer Walk as a warm-weather leisure and recreation shoe. The loafer consists of fabric uppers with rubber soles and is “largely” handcrafted.

Loro Piana offers the Summer Walk with several fabric options for the uppers and is famous for its Storm System-treated fabrics. The soles are made from gum rubber.

06:49 Assessing the Summer Walk ($980): Material Quality

The suede for the uppers is extremely nice and definitely top-of-the-line. The color is even and consistent without appearing fake or artificial. Like the uppers, the lining is extremely soft with a consistent, blemish-free surface. We found the rubber to be totally odorless with a supple, grippy feel and deep treads.

09:17 Construction & Comfort

Individual leather segments have been neatly trimmed and consistently and securely sewn together. Stitch density is appropriate for a recreation shoe used in wet conditions and stitching is neat and even. The heel is relatively low but sits comfortably like a regular boat shoe.

Comfort was a major selling point. Because slip-ons stretch with wear, it is often suggested to order a smaller size. Because of its small size, the heel of this shoe could be a fit issue for some gentlemen but otherwise, it’s a very typical fit for a slip-on.

10:58 Appearance & Styling

Appearance is important for even casual shoes. Summer Walk loafers have a versatile, clean look that is typical of plain-front loafers and are very compatible with Classic Style. We really like the style. It's the perfect hybrid between a sneaker and a loafer:

12:06 So, Are They Worth It?

We can definitely say that these loafers are not worth it unless you specifically want these particular shoes from Loro Piana. Despite the use of high-quality suede and rubber and overall excellent construction, there is nothing intrinsic to these shoes that justifies a price tag two or three times greater than similar competitors.

Here at the Gentleman’s Gazette we don’t believe in getting hung up on logos and labels. So unless that matters to you, we cannot justify paying simply for the pleasure of the Loro Piana crest.

12:42 Alternatives to Summer Walks
→ Yanko Belgian Loafer
→ Suitsupply Slip-On
→ Scarosso Ludovico
→ Baudoin & Lange Beat
→ Baudoin & Lange Sagan Stride
→ Aurélien Yacht Loafer
→ Crockett & Jones Cannes

13:52 Outfit Rundown

[rr_]

After wearing around 12-15 pairs of LPs (summer and open walks) for the last 5 years the only one real issue is that these shoes will only last you 1-2 seasons and drastically lose their appearance – rubber sole will become dirty yellowish and soft suede will lose it's form. And big thing is that every brand try to make a cheap copy of them so you will see this shoe everywhere. All the "part of the club" thing really dies fast when you realise that the "guy next door" wearing 100$ chinese copy.

Beside fast wear'n'tear this is really the best everyday casual shoe. Unmatched comfort, insane versatility, goldilocks looks between casual and formal shoe. And no other brand or replica can match LP silhouette and craftsmanship on these white soles.

For me I definitely went past the obsession stage and will keep only couple of pairs simply because there is no alternative. Classic loafers are too stiff and formal, sneakers are too casual.

If money not the issue and you really like the look - definitely try.

Some advice from wearing almost all of them.
1. Stick only with suede. It's the best for comfort (weight and flexibility) and durability (scratches or creases). You can always clean them or easily restore shape with shoe trees.
2. Beige and brownish colours will last longer because yellow rubber sole will not be so visible in contrast.
3. Clean them gently with professional cleansers and soft brushes. You can ruin out-of-the-box look of suede pretty quick.
4. Don't use them for really long walks (10k+ steps) and in high heat. It's closed leather shoe with no support or "bounce" after all. They have their limits.
5. Start with Open Walks. You can wear them all year round and there is no alternative to this soft classic boot.
Summer Walks only wearable in spring-summer on certain days and you can replace them more easily with other summer shoe.

[modfus]

Loro Piana makes extremely fine quality textiles and clothing - but they have fallen victim to the LVMH curse of milking a brand for every greedy dollar they can squeeze out of it.

[HondaCL]

“A fool and his money are soon parted” - P T Barnum

[gnorth]

I have a pair of blue suede loafers and paid $80 for them. They look and feel amazing. Brand only indicates you have a wallet, not necessarily style.

[TheHellbat]

I own two pairs of Loro Piana Summer Walks, and in my opinion, they are worth it. It's very soft, luxurious and it makes you feel like you're in an exclusive club + I've gotten lots of compliments for it, because of the hype on social media, the "Old Money" accounts hyping it, up people notice it more. The old Loafers that I have has yellow soles because it probably expired but, in my opinion, yes. They are worth it, sure they have a very steep price point for people who have financial issues, but if money is no problem to you, what's the harm? Really the only problem with these shoes are the copycats, I see people around my local mall wearing fakes with brands that have really strange names, but when you buy these shoes (real shoes) it makes you feel elevated and better than people who wear fakes.😀

[graysonbrown]

I found the Aurélien loafers around 2019 and haven't looked back since... they were my go to house slippers during the pandemic. The Loro Piana are just a pretentious flex at this point because (you guys are absolutely correct) they feel exactly the same...and for half the price I'll take it. I don't need a brand name to feel comfortable with my purchases. My wallet feels better knowing it can enjoy buying two Aurélien loafers for the price of one Loro Piana.

[pvg]

I just bought blue suede loafers by magnanni that are a fraction of the cost and look exactly alike, I had no idea that this loafer was a "thing." I just like the look and color, who knew...

[Joacimbylehn]

I have a few pairs and they’re easily the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. I disagree with sizing down, especially in later years they have made the last slimmer, I’ve had to size up compared to my first pair. The main issue - apart from the price - is the fact the soles doesn’t stay white very long. And once they’ve gone yellow, it’s impossible to get it back to the white color. They also wear out fairly quickly. I have a pair of open walks, which see more use since it can be worn for longer periods of the year. Took me about 3 years with 2-3 times per week use to wear through the sole.
I love the look, and I agree there’s a certain x-factor of wearing them, but it has been more or less killed due to all the copy cats.

[sanghoonlee]

Literally bought a pair yesterday, without seeing this video. This channel really suits my taste.

[danielsellshouston]

I have three pairs love them. They stretch out quite a lot, I would recommend going down a full size.

[acarvahal]

I’ve had several pair of these, I can say within 100% conviction Velsaca Milano makes a better loafer that looks identical and it costs $400.00. Bought a pair in Florence and never felt so ripped off by LP

[CoolChevere]

Last year I purchased John Lobb (Paris) crepe sole William. Which I wore all over Europe. Quiet comfortable and stylish. I believe they were more than the LP but what sold me was classic monk strap style and that they’ll resolve them (Goodyear welted). Plus I can’t say enough about there customer service. Personally called me to check to make sure they were shipping the right shoe and received a hand written note when the shoes arrived. A year later they checked in to see how I liked them. I’m not sure LP would do the same. They have a similar shoe at the same price but I believe at a higher quality level and with top notch customer service

[spadeyou]

I just picked up some Velasca Feree loafers. Had no idea the Loro Piana existed. Mine weren't what you would consider cheap. They seem nicely made and are very comfortable. At Velasca price point, I'll happily take 2-3. I haven't had them long enough to comment on long term durability.

[jeffnesbitt]

These are the most comfortable shoes I own!

[cuti_catAND]

I prefer Tod’s. You did an excellent review.

[cjjohnson]

I have a few Lori Piana clothing products and the quality is excellent; and all purchased on sale which is unusual. Tried the shoes on at a company store in Italy several years ago and was not impressed at this price point. M Gemi shoes for about one fifth the price. Great video!

[macyoungie]

Bought a pair of brooks brothers voyager shoes about a year ago. Very similar vibe for $100

[regsantotomas]

100% agreed that these aren't worth it. Loro Piana offers wonderful fabrics and I have had a few jackets and suits made using them. I also have purchased some of their accessories like gloves and scarves. With many alternatives at cheaper and MTM at comparable prices (or less) - there really is no reason to buy these shoes outside of branding.

[caveat]

i totally agree, i had one and it's not worth it at all, you can find a similar style by a different designer at a lesser price.
Moreover, this loafer has been designed for specific outings such as on a boat !
Very similar to Tods .
I got one from To boot New York for half the price and works well for me !
keep up the good work 👏 great content!

[ctlspl]

I got them in brown and plan on wearing them with beige/cream chinos, white Ralph Lauren button down shirts and a nomos watch. Hope it all matches.