A Letter From Michelle: The Geneva
A Letter From Michelle
Leopard is not the loud part of this shoe. The red is.
On one band of red across the front, what it does to everything else you put on, the six things I would not give up on, and why the Geneva is $79.95.
“Red and leopard?” A woman said it to me at the counter like a question, and it was a fair one. Most of the time the answer is no.
What makes it no is the amount. Red shoes, a red bag, a red lip in one afternoon — then the leopard is competing with three other things and nothing wins.
On the Geneva there is exactly one piece of red: a band across the front, and a fine line of piping around the collar. That is all of it.
So it is the only bright thing you have on, and that is the whole idea. When one thing is doing the work, nothing else has to.
Six things I would not give up on.
One band of red, and nothing else
Count the red on this shoe. A band across the front with the keeper slot cut into it, and a fine line of piping around the collar where your foot goes in. That is the whole of it. The sole is black, the lining is pale, the print is tan and brown. One bright thing, put where the eye lands first, which is why it reads as a decision instead of as a lot of red.
“It’s the red trim that makes these for me. Such a fun detail with the leopard print.”
Christine B., PeoriaUnderneath it, the leopard is a background
This is the part women do not expect. Put a band of red on top of leopard and the print stops being the event. It turns into the warm tan and brown ground that the red is sitting on. Which is why these go with the black pants and the plain sweaters already in your closet, rather than asking you to build something new around them.
“I wear a lot of black pants and plain sweaters, so these fit into my closet surprisingly well. They add some pattern without my having to plan a whole new outfit. The cushioning underfoot is a nice bonus.”
Joanne E., BellinghamThe shape underneath is the old one
A moccasin front with the seam stitched around it, a rounded toe with room across the front, and a collar that sits low on the foot. It is the shape a loafer has always been, and it is the reason a print on it does not read as a trend you will be finished with by March. The shoe is the classic one. Only the color is not.
“The classic loafer shape appealed to me as much as the print. I like the substantial black sole and the stitching around the front. They look nice with the tailored pants I wear to work.”
Pamela G., GreenvilleA thick black sole, and something underfoot
Look at the sole in the photographs. It is thick, black and squared off at the heel, not a thin layer glued to the bottom, and it is there for grip as much as for the height. The insole is cushioned too, which is the thing that quietly decides whether a shoe is still on at six o’clock or under the desk by three.
“I hadn’t bought patterned shoes in years, but kept coming back to this pair. The warm background works with my tan and brown clothes, and the red is a cheerful extra. I wore them with dark jeans for dinner at my sister’s house. They were comfortable for the evening, and I liked how they looked when I crossed my legs and could see the red edging. Glad I tried something a little different.”
Suzanne L., WenatcheeNothing to fasten
No laces, no buckle, no strap to thread. You step in and you are out of the door, and at the other end of the day you step out of them without sitting down. On a shoe meant for ordinary afternoons that matters more than it sounds, because the pair that actually gets worn is the pair that costs you nothing to put on.
“Easy to slip on, and pretty with cuffed jeans. Very happy with my Geneva loafers.”
Ruth N., HarrisonburgEight sizes, and the four that are missing
5.5, 6, 7, 8, 8.5, 9.5, 10 and 11, all at one price. That is the whole list, and I would rather tell you here than let you find it at the dropdown: there is no 6.5, no 7.5, no 9 and no 10.5. Measure your foot against the size chart before you choose, because on a slip-on there is nothing to tighten if you land between two.
“I bought these to wear to a birthday lunch with friends. I paired them with cream pants and a black top. The red band gave the outfit just the bit of color I wanted. I’d thought about adding a red bag, but liked the shoes being the only bright accent. They made a simple outfit feel more personal.”
Cynthia W., DubuqueThe Geneva, against what else $80 buys
| Most $80 loafers | The Geneva | |
|---|---|---|
| The trim | Matched to the print, so nothing stands out | One red band across the front, and a line at the collar |
| The print | Runs edge to edge with nothing on top of it | A tan and brown ground, with the red sitting on it |
| The front | Plain, or a buckle set on the top | A moccasin seam stitched around a rounded toe |
| The sole | Thin and flat, glued to the bottom | Thick and black, squared off at the heel for grip |
| Underfoot | Whatever the lining happens to be | A cushioned insole, which is why they stay on |
| Sizing | Stops at 10, if you are lucky | 5.5 to 11, one price, and I name the four gaps |
Why we are clearing them out now
The Geneva was $269.95, and that number was for one band of red set across a moccasin front, a fine line of piping around the collar, the seam stitched around a rounded toe, a cushioned insole and a thick black sole. I am not going to stand here and tell you that is a small amount of money for a pair of loafers. But the store turns twenty this year, and my daughters Julie and Amy are both at the counter most days now, which is not something I let myself count on in 2006. We wanted to mark it by handing something back to the women who kept those doors open, so they are going out at a little under a third of what they were.
I will give you the honest reasoning too. Shoes are the one thing you cannot change your mind about at eleven in the morning, so they had better be the part you are pleased with. This is the pair you buy before the lunch, not on the morning of it. And if they turn out to be the pair you put on without thinking, then $79.95 was never the point.
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$269.95$79.95
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- One red band across the front, with the keeper slot cut into it
- A fine line of red piping around the collar
- Leopard print on a warm tan and brown ground
- A moccasin seam stitched around a rounded toe
- A thick black sole, squared off at the heel
- A cushioned insole
- Slip-on — no laces, no buckle
- Sizes 5.5 to 11, every size the same price
- Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee
Every size the same price · while sizes last
One more thing, and then I will let you go.
Go and find the one bright thing you own — the scarf, the red bag, the coat you bought in a good mood. Now try to remember the last time you wore it with something else bright.
You did not, and you were right not to. One is the number.
So put the Geneva on with the plainest thing in your closet the day the box arrives. If the red is not doing all of the work on its own, send them back within thirty days and we will refund you.
Go and pick your size.
With love and gratitude,
— Michelle · The Hayes Family Hamptons
SEE THE GENEVA — $79.95 →This is a personal letter from Michelle Hayes, co-founder of The Hayes Family Hamptons. Customer reviews are quoted as written. · Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee.