Washed Leather Penny Loafers
MADE TO FIT YOU:
Leave your sizing notes at checkout — we’ll confirm your perfect fit before it ships.
Secure checkout
Washed horsehide · Chestnut, Truffle, Jet
There is a particular depth to leather that has been through the wash. The Washed Leather Penny Loafers are horsehide, washed in a drum so the colour turns mottled and aged, and each pair comes out of the wash with its own colour and marks. They slip on, with a penny strap across the front and the leather gathered in soft folds around a stitched moc toe.
Fabric
Upper: horsehide, imported
- Washed in a drum: the colour turns mottled and aged, and the drum marks the upper, the sole and the leather edging
- Natural marks in the hide: veins, pores and small pits, with creases across the surface
- The colour reads differently from different angles
Design
- Slip-on, with no laces or buckle
- Penny strap across the front, cut with a slot
- Round moc toe: a stitched seam around the top of the foot, with the leather gathered in soft folds around the toe
- Stitched leather edging where the upper meets the sole
- Pale footbed in every colour
Colour
Chestnut: a warm reddish brown · Truffle: a greyed taupe brown · Jet: black. The wash mottles every pair, so the colour varies from pair to pair. (Screen and lighting may vary.)
Size & fit (inches)
EU sizes, cut to sneaker sizing: order the size you wear in sneakers. The foot length each size fits:
| Size | Foot length |
|---|---|
| 35 | 8.9″ |
| 36 | 9.1″ |
| 37 | 9.3″ |
| 38 | 9.4″ |
| 39 | 9.6″ |
| 40 | 9.8″ |
| 41 | 10.0″ |
| 42 | 10.2″ |
| 43 | 10.4″ |
| 44 | 10.6″ |
| 45 | Not on the chart |
| 46 | Not on the chart |
Allow up to 0.2″ for how the length is measured. To measure, stand on a sheet of paper, mark the tip of your longest toe and the back of your heel, and measure between the two marks. With a bunion, a wide forefoot or a high instep, go up one size; with a narrow foot or an overlapping second toe, take your usual size.
Care
Wipe with a clean, soft, dry cloth. For a stubborn mark, use a professional cleaner, and keep laundry detergent and other solvents away from the leather. Keep them out of the rain; if they get wet, wipe them and let them dry as soon as you can. Keep them aired, out of strong sun, and away from oil and from hard edges that can scrape the leather. The leather is dyed, and slight colour transfer is normal while they break in, so darker socks are the safer choice in the first wears.
With cashmere socks and trousers on a cold morning, with jeans on the way to work: a loafer you’ll reach for until it’s yours.
Materials & Care
Every Aelse piece begins with the material. We work in leather tanned to soften with wear, suede, cashmere, wool and alpaca chosen for the hand, silk, linen and ramie that breathe, and slow beauty made from botanicals. Natural where it can be, considered where it can't — chosen to last and to be kept.
Made to Order Policy
Made-to-order work is created with care, intention, and mutual trust.
If a return is requested, the item must be returned and received in its original condition before a refund is issued. Refunds cannot be processed while an item remains with the client.
To protect the integrity of our custom process, future commissions are offered at our discretion.
Size & Fit Info
Want the perfect fit?
Before checkout, add size info in the cart and enter your bust, waist, hips, height, and weight. We’ll personally review your measurements before shipping to ensure every piece fits beautifully—because when it fits, it flatters. And when it flatters, it lasts.
Choose options
Washed horsehide · Chestnut, Truffle, JetThere is a particular depth to leather that has been through the wash.
What women keep telling us
Worn, and not let go of
“Warm as a blanket, looks like the runway. Highly recommend.”
“Threw a blazer on at JFK, walked into a client meeting. No wrinkles. New travel uniform.”
“The quality and cut is out of this world. I'm always getting compliments.”
Small batches. Scarce fabrics.
The Aelse Difference
Every Aelse piece is created in small batches — shaped by careful hands, scarce fabrics, and techniques that honor where they come from. Clothing that stays with you through shifting seasons, restless cities, and the many versions of you.
Longevity before novelty
Aelse is not priced for impulse. It is priced for women who choose with intention.
Pieces that learn you
Leather that softens, knits that settle, fabrics that remember your touch. A piece becomes yours because it stays long enough to hold your story.
Minimal waste, meaningful production
Some pieces are crafted on demand. This lowers excess, avoids landfill cycles, and protects the integrity of our makers.
For women who move — through cities, seasons, and selves. Who repair what they love, and understand that longevity is its own kind of luxury.
A considered timeline
Because our pieces are made slowly, some orders take a little longer. A few weeks now means years of wear later.
Small-batch quality
We work with ateliers, cultural partners, and independent makers who specialize in long-lasting craft.
A fit made for you
Share your measurements at checkout — we tailor our recommendations to reduce returns and ensure a piece you'll keep.
Scarcity with honesty
When fabrics and materials run out, we don't replace them. Some pieces won't return.
Questions, answered
What are penny loafers?
A penny loafer is a slip-on shoe with a leather strap across the front, cut with a small slot. This pair is horsehide, washed in a drum for a mottled, aged colour, with the leather gathered in soft folds around a round moc toe.
How should loafers fit?
These are cut to sneaker sizing: order the size you wear in sneakers, EU 35 to 46. By foot length, a 35 fits 8.9 in and a 44 fits 10.6 in, allowing up to 0.2 in for how the length is measured; the full chart is under Size & fit. With a bunion, a wide forefoot or a high instep, go up one size.
How do you break in loafers?
Gradually. On the first day, take them off at the first sign of discomfort; on the second, as soon as they feel slightly uncomfortable. By the third day the discomfort fades, so keep them on, and by the fourth they are mostly broken in.
Do you wear socks with loafers?
You can. While these are new, darker socks are the safer choice: the leather is dyed, and slight colour transfer during break-in is normal. After that it is your call: cashmere socks on a cold morning, bare ankles with jeans.
How do you wear penny loafers?
Keep the rest simple and let the shoe show: Chestnut with jeans on the way to work, Truffle under a cashmere dress with mid-rise cashmere socks, Jet with cashmere trousers and a fine knit.
Need help?
Frequently Asked Questions
Order
Made slowly, handled with care.
At Aelse, every piece is crafted to stay — chosen with intention, meant to be worn deeply and loved for years. But if something isn’t quite right, we promise to make it right. You can access our return policy here.
You may reach us at hello@aelse.shop.
We ship almost everywhere.
Our small-batch pieces and artisan finds travel safely across continents — from our hands to your home. If your country isn’t listed at checkout, please reach out via chat or our contact form and we’ll make it happen.
Good things take time.
In-stock pieces typically arrive within 5–10 business days. Made-to-order garments and artisan items may take longer — up to 21 days — and each piece’s timeline is listed on its product page.
Because our work comes from different makers around the world, your order may arrive in separate packages, each dispatched as soon as it’s ready.
If timing matters, message us anytime. We’ll always be transparent and help guide you.
Thoughtful fit is part of thoughtful service.
To help ensure your piece fits beautifully, add your bust, waist, hips, height, weight, and any notes (like “prefer oversized” or “one size up on the bomber”) in the cart drawer or cart page before checkout.
Our team reviews every detail before shipment — because confidence should never need adjustment.
Also in Shoes