YSL Loafers: The Saint Laurent Pairs I Would Actually Wear Every Week

YSL Loafers: The Saint Laurent Pairs I Would Actually Wear Every Week

YSL loafers start with the Le Loafer penny loafer, and Saint Laurent also makes velvet, croc-effect and logo plaque pairs plus backless mules. I go through the pairs I would actually wear every week and how I would choose one.

Saint Laurent was founded in 1961 by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, at 30 bis rue Spontini in Paris. That same year the graphic artist Cassandre drew the entwined YSL initials, and the house says that original form is still used today. So when people say YSL loafers, they are really saying the monogram, and the monogram is older than almost anything else in your closet.

 

The loafer itself is much newer. British Vogue reports that Le Loafer first appeared for autumn/winter 2023, loosely inspired by Mod culture and carrying the YSL logo hardware. It keeps a familiar silhouette: a traditional penny detail and a hand-stitched, gathered moc toe. And the penny part has its own small history, since the name took hold in the early 1950s when students began slipping pennies into the diamond-shaped slot in the strap, though that payphone explanation is disputed.

 

I like that the shoe is not trying to be new. Here are the YSL loafers women ask me about most, from the supple pennies to the velvet pair. This first grid is the pure version, and I would start here. The Le Loafers supple in shiny leather and in matte leather are the ones I would pick for jeans and a trench, because the finish decides the mood: shiny reads sharper, matte reads quieter. The Le Loafers supple in suede and the Le Loafer suede penny loafers in beige are softer, and they look lovely with a slip dress and bare ankles.

 

The Le Loafer foldable loafers are for people who walk a lot and like to flatten the heel on a train platform. There are also plain Loafers in smooth leather, Suede loafers and Loafers in Suede, which are the simplest pairs in the grid and the easiest to wear with tailoring. And for something rarer, the eel leather penny loafers in brown are the ones I would save for a sharp coat and trousers. The Le Loafer Supple in textured black and the soft beige Le Supple Loafer are the newest pairs in the grid, and the beige is the lightest colour here.

A collage of Saint Laurent penny loafers in leather, suede and eel leather, velvet and logo plaque loafers, and backless mules and slippers, and a mood photo of a black blazer, a mini skirt and loafers on a Paris street.
Saint Laurent loafers, mules and slippers, from suede pennies to velvet and logo plaques.

Le Loafer penny loafers

Velvet, croc-effect, leopard and logo plaques

The second grid is where the house gets a little louder, and I mean that kindly. Everything here keeps the loafer shape but adds a texture or a bit of hardware, so the shoe does the talking and the outfit can stay plain.

 

The Le Loafer velvet penny loafers in black and in burgundy are my favorite pair in this group. Velvet on a flat shoe feels like a dinner jacket for your feet, and I would wear them with straight black trousers and a white shirt, the Le Smoking idea in miniature. Yves Saint Laurent introduced that tuxedo suit to women in 1966, borrowing from classic menswear, and Vogue called it a scandalous look that turned the trouser suit into a sign of sensuous femininity. A velvet loafer carries a little of that spirit.

 

The Le Loafer crocodile-effect loafers are the dressiest here, and the name says effect, so think of them as texture rather than a claim about the skin. I would pair them with jeans that stop at the ankle so the pattern shows. The Le Loafer ruched leather loafers and the Cassandre ruched loafers are the softer, more detailed pairs here, and I would wear them with a midi skirt. The Le Loafer eel leather penny loafers in burgundy have a similar glossy texture, and the leopard print Le Loafer is the loudest pair in this grid, so keep the rest of the outfit plain. The Velvet Le Loafer and the Leather Le Loafers are the regular shapes in the group.

 

Then come the logo ones: the YSL logo-plaque loafers and the Logo-plaque loafers. If you want the monogram on show, these are the most direct way, and the plaque catches the light when you walk. Laurent Loafers are the plainest shape in the group, so I would try them first. My fitting-room test for any of them is to walk to the far end of the room and back. If your heel lifts or the toe pinches, tell yourself the truth early, because new shoes usually need breaking in, but they should never feel wrong on the first walk.

Velvet, textured, ruched and logo plaque loafers

Mules and slippers, no back

The last grid is the one I reach for in summer, because none of these have a back. Mules and slippers are a different kind of shoe from a loafer, so I will not pretend they behave the same: you slide into them, and your heel is free.

 

The Le Loafer Mules and the Le Loafer leather mules in black are the most familiar of the group, with the same penny look in a backless shape. The Le Loafer mules in suede and the Le Loafer suede mules in beige are softer, and I would wear the beige pair with wide cream trousers and a plain tee. The Le Loafer Cassandre mules bring in the monogram's designer in the name, and they are the ones to pick if you like a bit of logo with your slide.

 

Then there are the slippers. The Le Loafer Penny Slippers are the cleaner pair, and the Le Loafer Penny Slippers in Pony Hair Leather are the funny, tactile one, which I would keep for a night when the rest of the outfit is very quiet. Alain Slippers round out the grid as the easiest to wear with a robe-style coat or a long knit.

 

What I would skip: wearing a backless pair for a day of heavy walking or a wet commute, and skipping socks with a pair that is not yet broken in if you tend to blister. I would also skip pairing a pony hair or suede slipper with a very busy outfit, because the texture needs space around it. Save these for dinners, errands and the kind of day that moves slowly.

Loafer mules and slippers

How I would choose one pair

If I could only wear one pair of YSL loafers, I would choose by the day I wear shoes most. For long days, a supple leather or suede Le Loafer. For evenings, velvet. For summer, a mule.

 

Here is the small test I use. Put the pair on with the socks or bare feet you would really wear, stand up, and look at the toe in a mirror. The gathered moc toe should look rounded and relaxed, not pinched. Walk on a hard floor and listen for heel slip. A little of that on day one is normal, since shoes need to mold to your feet, and that is not a sign of poor quality.

 

Last, check the outfit. Plain jeans, a white shirt and a good coat make nearly every pair here look right. Saint Laurent under Anthony Vaccarello, who became creative director in 2016, keeps its legacy with a bit of irreverence, and I like to wear these the same way: serious shoes, slightly loose outfit. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Loafers For Every Day Of The Week and Loafers for Women.