Loafers are where Prada gets quietly serious. The Prada Group lists its women's shoe factories as Buresta and Levane in Arezzo and Dolo in Venice, all in Italy, so there is real Italian shoemaking behind the line. I cannot tell you which pair came from which factory, and I will not guess, but it explains why a plain loafer here looks so considered.

 

This group is twenty pairs, and most are loafers. The Leather Loafers, in three versions, are the classic shape, and I would wear them with cropped trousers and a good sock. The Brushed Leather Loafers, in three more, have a sleek surface that takes a polish well, and the Chocolate Brushed Leather Loafers are the one I would pick if black feels too sharp. Brown looks warmer with denim and with a camel coat.

 

The Suede Loafers, in three here, are my favorite for autumn. Suede is soft, it looks richer than smooth leather in low light, and it pairs well with wool trousers. The honest catch is that it needs a little care, so a suede protector spray before the first wear is sensible.

 

The newer pairs add range. The Re-Edition 1999 Equal Leather Loafers and the Double Chocolate Leather Loafers sit on a lugged sole, the brown Leather Loafers are the warm one for denim, and the Metal-Detailed Leather Loafers add hardware for a dressier day. The Saint Tropez Shearling Loafers are the cosy pair, while the Patent Leather Loafers and the Ruched Leather Loafers sit lower and softer.

 

Then the chunkier pair. The Brushed Leather Monolith Loafers and the Monolith Brushed Leather Lace-Up Shoes have a heavier sole, and I would wear them with a full skirt or wide jeans, so the weight of the shoe is matched by the weight of the hem. Of everything in this edit, the lace-up is the most borrowed from menswear, and it works with a slim trouser and a fitted knit.

 

The fitting test: a loafer should hold your heel without a gap when you walk, and you should be able to wiggle your toes. Try them on at the end of the day, when your feet are at their largest.

The last group is flats and other low shoes, twenty-eight pairs, and it is where Prada feels most relaxed. Ballerinas are the easiest shoe to wear every day, and these are not the flimsy kind. The Brushed Leather Ballerinas, the Leather Ballerinas and the Nappa Leather Ballerinas are the plain, smooth ones, and they work with jeans, a slip skirt or a suit. The Antiqued Leather Ballerinas have a slightly aged finish, which I like with vintage denim.

 

For a softer feel, the Suede Ballerinas are my pick, and the Mesh Fabric Ballerinas and Low Heel Mesh Fabric Ballerinas are lighter and more breathable in the way that fabric usually is. The Low Heel pair gives a little lift while keeping the comfort of a flat. The Crochet Ballerinas are the most playful of the lot, and I would wear them with a plain linen dress so the texture does the talking.

 

Prada's attitude to materials runs through the house. In 1984, the Evening Standard reported, Miuccia Prada launched a backpack in Pocono nylon, an industrial fabric from a factory that made parachutes. In 2019 the house launched Re-Nylon with Aquafil, using regenerated ECONYL nylon, which Prada says is made by recycling plastic waste from oceans, fishing nets and textile fiber waste. I mention it because the mesh and fabric flats here come from the same instinct: ordinary materials treated seriously.

 

The Brushed Leather Monolith Mary Janes bring the heavier sole of the loafers to a strap shoe, and they look sharp with white socks. The Suede Mules and the Suede and Shearling Mules are the ones I would wear at home and on short errands, and the Nubuck Flatform Mules add height without a heel.

 

The Platform Boat Shoes and Shearling Driving Shoes are the cosy outliers, and the Cashmere, Woven and Crocheted flats at the end are the ones I would wear with bare ankles. The Leopard-Print Pony Hair Mary Janes and the Crystal-Embellished Suede Ballet Flats are the party pairs, and the Re-Edition Leather Oxfords are the one lace-up in this group.

 

What I would skip: a thin, soft flat for a day of long walking on city pavement, and suede or nubuck on a rainy morning. Neither is made for puddles, and I would not count on any of these pairs to handle wet weather unless the listing says so.

If I were choosing one pair, I would start with how I live. If I am on my feet all day, I would pick a loafer or a ballerina. If I want a dressed-up look, the slingback. Then I would choose the finish: brushed leather for polish, suede for softness, mesh for a lighter, more modern feel.

 

Before buying, I do three things. I check the heel height in the details, and I use the two inches Harper's Bazaar gives for a kitten heel as my reference. I walk ten steps on a hard floor. And I put the shoes with the three outfits I wear most, because a pair that works with only one is not a pair I will wear.

 

The shape has history on its side, too. Harper's Bazaar says the kitten heel was popularized in the 1960s, when Audrey Hepburn was often seen in kitten-heel pumps, and it gives a little lift without veering into stiletto territory. That is the Prada slingback in a sentence, and it is a good reason to trust the shape. A good Prada shoe, to me, is the one I will actually wear on a Tuesday. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Prada Loafers Dupe and Dior Shoes Women Wear Now.