A Letter From Michelle: The Irene
A Letter From Michelle
Almost every loafer I am offered has something shiny on it.
On what is left when you take the metal off, the six things I would not give up on, and why the Irene is $69.95.
A buckle photographs well, which is most of why I am shown so many of them.
It also tells everyone in the room that somebody wanted it noticed, which is not always the message a woman is after.
Take the metal off a loafer and there is nowhere left to hide. All you have is the shape of the toe, the line of the strap, and the stitching — and those are the things you cannot cover up.
The Irene has no hardware on it anywhere. I bought it because of what it does not have.
Six things I would not give up on.
No buckle, no bit, no chain
A raised penny strap with a slot cut in it, which is the oldest shape in the drawer and the one that has never needed decorating. There is nothing on this shoe to catch the light, nothing to date it, and nothing that has to be kept bright. What you notice instead is the strap itself, sitting slightly proud of the vamp, which is the only thing interrupting the line.
“I prefer shoes without shiny hardware, so the simple penny strap appealed to me. The matte finish is pretty, too. My black pair looks nice with dress pants for work.”
Ellen W., RochesterThe stitching is the decoration
Look at where the thread runs. It outlines the strap, then carries on down each side of the vamp and around the toe, so the shape of the shoe is drawn rather than left plain. It is the only ornament on the Irene, and it is the kind you only see from close up — which is the right distance for a shoe, since nobody meets you at your feet.
“I bought the gray Irene loafers to wear with a pair of charcoal pants I already owned. I’d been wearing the pants with sneakers, but wanted another option for lunch or dinner out. These give the outfit a more polished look. I especially like the stitching around the toe. It adds detail without making the shoes fussy.”
Joan M., BendA pointed toe on a flat shoe
The toe comes to a long soft point, which carries the line of your leg on through the shoe instead of stopping it at your hem. On a flat that matters more than it does on a heel, because a flat has nothing else doing that work. It is also the reason these look right under a cropped pant, where a round toe tends to sit there like a full stop.
“The pointed toe looks lovely with my ankle-length pants. I chose taupe, and it’s an easy color to pair with cream and navy.”
Paula D., CarlisleA thin sole, and very little heel
There is a low heel under the back of this shoe rather than nothing at all, and a thin sole under the rest of it. That combination is what keeps a flat from reading as a slipper: enough lift to put a little shape into the back of your foot, not enough to be a shoe you have to think about on a long afternoon. It is a walking shoe that happens to look dressed.
“Just the style I wanted for my midi skirts. A neat shape with a nice low heel.”
Rosemary F., AmesMatte suede, in three colors
The upper is suede, matte rather than polished, which is most of why it reads as quiet. Gray, black, or taupe — and taupe is the one I would take first, because it does the job of a nude without being one. The honest part: suede does not want rain, and it would rather be brushed than wiped down. If you need a shoe to walk through weather in without thinking, it is not this one.
“Very pleased with the taupe. It looks especially nice with blue jeans and my tan cardigan.”
Anita R., StauntonEight sizes, and the three that are missing
5.5, 6, 7, 8, 8.5, 9.5, 10, and 11. That is the whole list, and I would rather tell you now than let you find out at the size dropdown: there is no 6.5, no 7.5, and no 9. If you fall in one of those gaps, or your feet are wide, take the larger size. The point takes up length at the front, so there is less room to spare than you would think.
“I was looking for a simple shoe to pack for a weekend visit with friends. The black pair worked with both my jeans and a skirt, so I didn’t need separate shoes for dinner. I like the slim profile and the little heel. The penny strap keeps the look familiar, while the pointed toe makes it feel a bit dressier. A useful addition to my closet.”
Gloria K., LincolnThe Irene, against what you have been buying
| Most $70 loafers | The Irene | |
|---|---|---|
| The strap | A buckle or a bit, in plated metal | A raised penny strap with a slot cut in it |
| The decoration | Hardware, doing all the work | Stitching along the strap and around the toe |
| The toe | Round, and it stops the line | A long point that carries the line on |
| The heel | Flat to the ground, or a block | A low heel on a thin sole underneath |
| The upper | Shiny, and it has to stay shiny | Matte suede, which only asks to be brushed |
| Sizing | Stops at 10, if you are lucky | 5.5 to 11, and I name the three gaps |
Why we are clearing them out now
The Irene was $239.95, and that number was for everything a plain shoe has nowhere to hide: a raised penny strap with a cut slot, stitching along the strap and around the toe, and a matte suede upper with no metal on it anywhere. I am not going to stand here and tell you that is a small amount of money for a loafer. 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 it is going out at a little under a third of what it was.
I will give you the honest reasoning too. A flat is the shoe you put on when you are not thinking about shoes, which makes it the pair that actually gets worn. This is the one you buy before the lunch you need it for, not on the morning of it. If it is the pair you reach past the others for, then $69.95 was never the point.
★★★★★4.8 out of 5 — from 3,369+ reviews
$239.95$69.95
20th Anniversary Sale — Save 70%
- No metal hardware anywhere on the shoe
- A raised penny strap with a cut slot
- Stitching along the strap and around the toe
- A long pointed toe
- A thin sole and a low heel
- A matte suede upper
- Gray, Black, or Taupe
- Sizes 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 8.5, 9.5, 10, and 11 — one 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.
Line up the flat shoes you own and look only at the metal on them. The buckles, the bits, the little gold bars.
Then ask yourself how many of those you chose, and how many simply came that way because that is what was in the shoe store that afternoon.
So look at the Irene the day the box arrives. If it is not what I have described, send it back within thirty days and we will refund you.
With love and gratitude,
— Michelle · The Hayes Family Hamptons
FIND YOUR SIZE — $69.95 →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.