Obsession: An Affordable Range of Vintage Tod’s Loafers

They come classic or colorful. Plus, shout out to my $50 pair.

Dipping my toe into the Tod’s loafer was a long time coming. A few months ago, I went on a tangent about vintage Tod’s bags—those juicy leather pieces that look and feel expensive. They are structured and polished, and they can survive a nuclear war. In the article, I also mentioned Tod’s driving shoes because that is what the Italian brand is ultimately known for. Look to the ‘90s: All of brand’s advertisements are dominated by single shots of the loafers.

My own pair of Tod’s, specifically the complete rubber-soled Gommino iteration, were roughly $50 on ThredUp (and I had a credit, so voila, they were technically nada). I wanted a flat with padding and support—a subtle bra for my heel, if you will. (The 500 bulbous rubber nubs under the Tod’s sole sold me.) My pair came in two tones: black with thick white stitching. Classic with a little bit of slight old-school saddle shoe funk. I slipped my foot in, and my battered hooves indeed felt coddled. A cherub’s fingertip tickled my soles with every step. A cumulus cloud engulfed my foot. I was walking on Italian-kissed air. 

My pair looks good—a fun and fresh antidote to the girly ballet flat or a fussy kitten heel. Or a clompy gargantuan sneaker. The shoe has the qualities of a loafer but without that stiffness that causes searing blisters at the heels or that bludgeoning heft. Instead, there’s a breezy, devil-may-care elegance. Plus, they have a chameleon effect: I wear my Tod’s loafers with everything, like my dingy low-slung camo print cargos, my baggy pair of men’s Levi’s, or my stretchable black Tory Burch kicky pants. The shoes added a subversive but elevated bite as if I was saying: look at me, I’m showing grandmother’s favorite off in a chic-deranged way. 

The New York Times May 14, 1996

Designed in 1979, the driving shoes were initially made for gripping brake or gas pedals but quickly became the spiffy Italian shoes to wear beyond the car. The designer Diego Della Valle, who inherited the family business from his cobbler grandfather and turned it into an empire, famously tries each pair himself. Here’s a quote from a New York Times piece in 2010: “Mr. Della Valle does things the old-fashioned way: by instinct. To find out if a new style of shoes will work in the marketplace, he doesn’t need focus groups or poll testing—he wears them. After a few days, if they’re not to his liking, he renders his verdict: ‘These won’t go into production.’” The man is dedicated to comfort!

However, even earlier than that Times piece, the Tod’s loafer was the shoe du jour of the ‘90s, beloved by bombshell actresses and figures, both searingly sexual and painfully puritan: Uma Thurman, Princess Diana, and Sharon Stone. (Fun fact: Stone began to special-order pairs from Valle after they had met in a coffee shop and became friends.) In 1996, Tod’s driving shoes were the number one-selling shoe at Neiman Marcus. At the time, those Marche-made moccasins were going for a cool $230 to $265. 

Now, a Tod’s Gommino retails for $695 on Neiman Marcus, whether it’s croc-embossed or suede. Sometimes, you can find a brand new standard suede pair on Yoox for around $300 or on the Outnet for a nice $285. In the resale-verse, the world is your driving shoe oyster. There’s a cornucopia of suedes, leathers, and pony hair—sometimes an exotic reptile. The colors and prints ranged from chocolate brown and gorgeous obsidian, bubblegum pink and raspberry, deep brown with purple accents, multicolored suede, and lush animal print pony hair. (I’m kicking myself for not snapping up a pair in distressed lightwash denim.) Now, you’ll have to really search and utilize the zoom as there are some majorly inexpensive options on the The RealReal, but many under $50 look like they’ve been run over/chewed on/washed up on a beach. (Luckily, I’ve included some options throughout and below that look stellar.

Keep in mind that when you find a great Tod’s loafer, the quality is killer. The shoes will keep up for eons in that age-like-fine-wine way. I was peeping the comments under a New York Times article from this year about the loafer, and this one from Adriane in Pittsburgh caught my eye: “I bought my Tod's Gommino driving loafers in 1993. I still wear them around my house nearly every day. After 31 years of constant use, they just started coming apart within the past year. They are the best shoes I have ever owned. Glad to see they are being celebrated!” Not too shoddy.

Picks below for the Tod’s loafer

Freaky Punk or Classic Brit Tod’s Plaid Ponyhair Driving Shoes 38

Glam Snakeskin Oligarch Tod’s Loafer 37 ($92!!!)

Tod’s Delicious Pony Hair in Cow Print Size 35

Tod’s Peppy Orange Loafer In Leather 37

Supple Zebra-Print Calf Hair Tod’s Driving Shoes 38.5

Radiant Lipstick Red Patent Leather Tod’s Loafers 37.5

Tod’s Sick-Nasty Distressed Denim Loafer 39

Sweet Blue Tod’s Loafers In 38

SNAZZY Head-Turning Animal Print Ponyhair Tod’s Loafers 9.5

Classic Tod’s Black Loafer In 37.5 ($70!!!)

Y2K Darkwash Denim Tod’s Loafer 40

Yummy Cream Tod’s Loafer Size 38

Preppy Blue Suede Tod’s Loafer 36.5

Cherry Red Suede Tod’s Loafer 37

Bouncy Tod’s Orange Loafer 38.5

Boardroom-Ready Black Tod’s Leather Loafer 37

Hot Pink Suede Tod’s Loafers 39

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