The Italian Boat Shoe

Brooks Brothers’ Friends and Family sale is coming up in about a month, so last week, I decided to poke around their webstore to see if there was anything worth buying. A few things caught my eye, but at the top of the list was this tie loafer, which looks not too unlike SW1’s Sloop. The apron is a bit further on the edge, the last less sleek, and the leather obviously pebble grain, but in many respects, it looks similar.

I like to think of the Sloop as the Italian boat shoe. It was designed by a Milanese company called SW1 and you can see it worn here in this this photo of Luca Rubinacci. Like most shoes from Italy, the Sloop is Blake stitched and features a single sole, which means it’s lightweight and ideal for warm weather. This together with its relaxed nature makes it a great pair of shoes for summer. You could wear it with a weekend suit or casual sport coat, and it would look sharp in almost any lounge environment.

Of course, if the last is too sleek for you, there’s Brooks Brother’s model, which looks just as nice. If it were made of smooth calf, I might actually prefer it over the Sloop. Brooks’ will go on sale in about a month or two and the Sloop can be had through A Suitable Wardrobe for $550.

Below are some photos of the Sloop mixed in with SW1’s other models. The Sloop looks great, but with some of these other designs, I’m surprised SW1 isn’t talked about more among menswear enthusiasts.