Not everyone wants a lug sole, and Prada knows it. The Shuffle, from the Fall/Winter 2025 collection, is a deconstructed, lightweight loafer in soft leather with a lived-in finish, closer to a slipper than a boot. Here it comes as the Shuffle Antiqued Leather Loafers in burgundy, the Shuffle Nubuck in tan and the Shuffle Antiqued Leather Boat Loafers with their laced collar.

The suede pairs are the most comfortable straight out of the box. The Chocolate Suede Loafers keep the thick sole in a soft brown, the plain Suede Loafers in brown sit flatter, and the Suede and Shearling Loafers in cream are lined for winter. The black Leather Loafers, with their gathered vamp, and the Patent Leather Loafers on a block heel are the dressy end.

A note on fit: I find Prada loafers narrow through the middle of the foot, so if you are between sizes, try the half size up and wear them with a thin sock the first time.

What I would skip: suede as your only loafer if you walk to work in the rain. Keep it for dry days and let the brushed leather do the weather.

A loafer this heavy looks best with a hem that clears it. Straight-leg trousers that just touch the top of the shoe, or a pleated skirt with a ribbed crew sock, are the classic partners, and the sock matters more than you would think.

Loulou de Saison's Sbiru pleated wool-twill trousers in grey and Liberowe's Lilian twill straight-leg pants in cream are the two trousers I would reach for. FRAME's Tennis Pleated Skirt is the short, sporty version, and Jenni Kayne's long Pleated Skirt is the one for a cold office. Collégien's merino and cashmere ribbed crew socks in a washed blue are the bridge between the two.

On top, keep the prep reference going. Marrakshi Life's Oversized Cotton Oxford in pale peach, Alex Mill's Jo Poplin Shirt in pink and Victoria Beckham's Beatrice double-breasted wool blazer are all you need.

The lug sole adds height, so check your trouser length before you commit. What worked with a flat ballet pump will look short with a Monolith.

This last grid is the rest of the family. The Leather Platform Loafer Pumps in brown take the lug sole onto a real heel, and the plain black Leather Loafers and the Leather Penny Loafers keep the classic penny bar on a thick sole, the closest thing here to a Bass Weejun that has been to the gym.

The Chocolate line shows up twice, the Double Chocolate Leather Loafers in black and the Chocolate Leather Loafers in a glossy brown, both on the chunky rubber sole that defines it. The two Logo Leather Platform Loafers, in black and brown, wear the triangle large on the vamp, and the Equal Leather Loafers in black patent are the slimmest pair in the grid.

The newest pairs lean softer. The Ruched Leather Loafers and the dark Suede Loafers sit low, the Saint Tropez Shearling Loafers are the cozy winter pair, the Metal-Detailed Leather Loafers carry a chunky silver bar, and the Mocassini and the Leather Loafer Pumps put a block heel under the penny strap. The tasseled Suede Moccasins and the backless Suede Loafer Mules are the summer pair.

Four newer Leather Loafers round out the grid: a brown pair on a lugged sole, a black pair with a penny strap, a scrunched flat pair and a glossy black pair with hardware. The lugged brown one is the chunkiest of the four, and the scrunched flat is the one I would wear with bare ankles.

Pair them with a white sock and a straight trouser, and they work from a Monday meeting to a Saturday market.

What I would skip: two pairs from this grid in the same color. Pick one black and, if you love them, one brown.

Brushed leather is a polished finish that resists scuffing far better than plain calf and cannot be repaired invisibly once it does scuff, so treat the toe carefully. Lugged rubber soles add roughly an inch and change how the shoe interacts with hems, which means trousers that worked with a flat loafer will look short. Suede loafers are the most comfortable immediately and the least durable. Half sizes matter here because the shape is narrow through the waist of the foot. The plain brushed leather loafer is the one most likely to outlast the trend, while the Monolith is the one that defined it. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Chunky Loafers Are the Only Shoe That Works All Autumn and Loafers.