Cheryl Shops

The first time I saw a YSL Le Loafer, my initial thought was "What in the Serge Gainsbourg are these?" But the next time I saw them, I couldn't get them out of my head. They felt like a softer evolution of the classic loafer, a pair with a little more personality and point of view—a classic with a twist, if you will. But that twist comes with a hefty price tag: currently around $1,200 give or take $100 depending on the leather. Oof. As much as I love Saint Laurent, I don't love paying four figures for a pair of shoes that are not exactly reinventing the wheel (to be fair, they have truly refined the design of the wheel, though). So I went in search of the best dupe I could find. Here's what I discovered. 

The dupes I tried first

The Tony Bianco Gatsby loafer (pictured below) came highly recommended by Brooklyn Blonde, whom I tend to trust because she has strong convictions and is around the same size I am. However I found the sizing to be a bit off—the 8.5 (my usual size) was too long and felt like wearing clown shoes; my toes were ready to burst out of the size 8. Banana Republic's Moc Toe Loafer was a strong contender, however without the band across the instep, it made my foot look comically long. I really wanted to try the Sydney loafer by local SF brand Freda Salvador—especially in that gorgeous burgundy color—but they've been sold out for months, and such is life when you're an independent brand. I also looked at an option from dupe king Steve Madden, but they were reading almost too moccasin-y and were lacking the structure of the YSL pair. In trying on so many different styles, I realized I wanted textured leather à la eel skin versus suede.

The best dupe: Massimo Dutti Embossed Leather Loafers

A hot tip from one of my favorite Substacks led me to Massimo Dutti, a higher-end sister brand of Zara. Their Embossed Leather Loafers are the closest I found to the eel skin YSL Le Loafer in terms of texture, design, and overall vibes. The color is a very dark brown—it almost looks black—with a subtle texture (I should note these are cow leather, not eel, but stamped to look as such). I ordered my usual size 39 (again, I'm normally a 8.5 US) and can report they were incredibly comfortable from the first wearing—no break-in period required, although I have been wearing them with socks since it's winter. 

Massimo Dutti Embossed Leather Loafers vs. YSL Le Loafer

In terms of overall shape—from the ruching around the toe to the low stacked heel—I think the Massimo Dutti shoes are a pretty good dupe of the YSL design. The biggest difference is the lack of YSL logo, but to me, that's a plus—I don't love big branding on my accessories. There are also some subtleties in the design, like less refined stitching along the sides and heel, which you'd expect considering the price difference. They also aren't quite as soft or as broken-in-looking as the original, but I have a feeling they will develop a nice patina over time. But considering the Massimo Dutti loafer is less than a fifth of the price of the YSL, the tradeoffs are worth it to me. 

OUTFIT DETAILS: Karen Kane fringe jacket | COS tee | Agolde Riley jeans | Massimo Dutti Embossed Leather Loafers