Who can say they’ve had a reign that lasted more than 70 years? The late Queen Elizabeth II comes to mind, and then there’s the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, who not only influenced the pop culture landscape for decades but also the accent of a certain actor for a surprisingly long time.
But in fashion, the Gucci Horsebit loafer has managed to maintain the same level of influence since it was introduced in 1953. With a design so recognizably “Gucci,” the appeal stretches far and wide, from A-listers to your most fashionable friends. Seventy years on, that equestrian tool on the tongue will still place you in the upper echelons of style royalty.
The story of how a snaffle became a signifier for the luxury fashion house starts with its founder. Guccio Gucci was working as a porter at the Savoy in London when his fascination with the equestrian world began; he saw it as the sport of the rich and famous people who stayed at the hotel.
But that fascination didn’t manifest itself in the form of a loafer until his son Aldo Gucci took over the business (along with his brothers Rodolfo and Vasco). As the story goes, Aldo designed a pair of dressy loafers in response to the moccasins that G.H. Bass was producing, having noticed that the sleek design was popular with American prepsters. He finished it with the horse-bit detail to honor his father, and in doing so he created a staple shoe that is both discreet and distinguishable.
Gucci Horsebit 1953 Loafer
The shoe quickly became a hit on home soil, but it didn’t take long for its influence to reach stateside and beyond. Despite its history as a dressier choice for stylish men—thanks to Cary Grant—the Gucci loafer became a popular casual shoe for younger generations. By the ’70s, plenty of women had a pair—perhaps most famously Jodie Foster, who was photographed at age 15 sporting the style while skateboarding—as well as men like Kirk Douglas, Francis Ford Coppola, and Roger Moore.
Manuele Mangiarotti / ipa-agency.netPaul Mescal wearing Gucci Horsebit loafers.
And the style was just as popular onscreen as it was on the streets. In 1979, Dustin Hoffman wore a pair in Kramer vs. Kramer. Then there was Matt Dillon in Drugstore Cowboy ten years later. Matt Damon wore them in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), a film that’s repeatedly cited for its influence on men’s summer wardrobes in Europe and elsewhere.
GucciThe Horsebit loafer, circa 1976.
The creative directors of the luxury fashion house have had their own takes on the design. Tom Ford famously revitalized Gucci in 1994 and did so with classic emblems of the brand like the horse bit. Alessandro Michele continued to use the motif throughout his tenure, incorporating it into his maximalist and print-heavy aesthetic, while Gucci’s latest design head, Sabato De Sarno, has elevated it even more (literally) with a platform sole.
Today you can see the likes of Paul Mescal, Mark Ronson, and Kingsley Ben-Adir (who stars in a new ad campaign for the shoe) wearing Gucci loafers on and off the red carpet, further cementing the shoe’s status as a smart-casual favorite. Rest assured, its reign will continue for the foreseeable future.
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