Gucci loafers that we still love 70 years later

Classic as a Chanel 2.55 quilted handbag and as recognizable as a Louis Vuitton suitcase, the Gucci Horsebit loafer may eclipse both when it comes to fashion status.

For 70 years, Gucci leather flats have been worn by everyone from Jackie O to Kendall Jenner – and are the original ‘It’ shoe.

In the 1960s, loafers were worn by Jane Birkin and Brigitte Bardot; in the 1970s they found favor with Hollywood favorites like Jodie Foster and Francis Ford Coppola, as well as then-CIA Director George HW Bush.

In the 1980s and 1990s they were known as the ‘deal sled’ on Wall Street, where the classic black version was as ubiquitous as the pinstripe suit.

Today, fans include Sienna Miller, Brad Pitt and Katie Holmes. And Normal People star Paul Mescal fronts the brand’s new campaign to mark the slip-on’s 70th anniversary.

Audrey Hepburn wore black Gucci Horsebit loafers in the 1957 musical novel Funny Face

Loafers have been in fashion for a few seasons now. But to stay relevant for 70 years? That is no small achievement.

The secret may lie in their unique appeal, which is casual and smart, genderless and flattering at the same time. They eschew the in-your-face branding of competitors and look just as perfect with an evening dress as they do with jeans and a loose shirt.

Aldo Gucci, son of brand founder Guccio Gucci, created the Horsebit loafer in 1953. He based the style on penny loafers that he had noticed were popular with preppy Americans.

It was an astute observation, coinciding with Gucci’s plans to expand into the US. And when the Italian luxury leather goods company opened its first store on New York’s 5th Avenue, it brought over the Horsebit loafer.

Launched first for men and then for women, the shoe was an instant hit – thanks in part to the jet set, who traveled to Gucci’s flagship store on Via Condotti in Rome to buy bags and luggage.

But it also offered something completely new. here was a black leather shoe that elegantly balanced the line between chic and casual.

Until then, black leather shoes were seen as formal wear, worn to the office or on a night out, while the penny loafers Aldo spied on young Americans were usually brown. Gucci has achieved the best of both.

Additionally, Gucci’s loafer was slimmer, with a longer, deeply flattering almond toe, and came with the crucial addition of a gold-plated horse bit – a nod to Gucci’s roots as a maker of high-quality saddles and riding boots. The shoe was luxurious and understated at the same time. In short, it was revolutionary.

Launched first for men and then for women, the shoe was an instant hit – thanks in part to the jet set, who traveled to Gucci’s flagship store on Via Condotti in Rome to buy bags and luggage.

Leonardo DiCaprio wore a black leather pair in almost every scene of The Wolf Of Wall Street

Since then, the Horsebit loafer has had countless iterations: fur-lined, backless, thick-soled and in countless colours, with prices starting from £675. But in all forms it is a celebrity product.

Some of cinema’s most iconic characters have worn them: Fight Club’s Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) wore maroon ones; Leonardo DiCaprio wore the black leather pair in almost every scene of The Wolf Of Wall Street.

Off-duty stars like Jennifer Aniston and Gigi Hadid pair theirs with cropped jeans (the ankle length is perfect to show off the Horsebit’s elegant shape).

Starlets like Hailey Bieber, who has them in pink and classic black with fur lining, show their fashion smarts by wearing them with white socks.

With designer Sabato de Sarno taking over as Gucci’s creative director, things will almost certainly change. The brand will have to reinvent itself from the maximalist funhouse it became under Alessandro Michele.

But if the new campaign is to be believed, it is clear that De Sarno understands at least one thing: that the secret of the brand’s future lies in one of its oldest heroes.