Explainer / Inside House of Gucci’s iconic Horsebit loafer: from King George VI’s 1920s royal court to the fashion maison’s first Manhattan boutique and Wall Street power banker swagger

STORYChristian Barker

Dec 2 , 2021

How much do you know about Gucci’s iconic Horsebit loafer? Photo: @gucci/Instagram

American cinema

Jared Leto dons the stylish shoes in the Ridley Scott film starring Lady Gaga and Adam Driver – George H.W. Bush wore them at the White House in the 70s, too

Created for King George VI – of The King’s Speech – the luxury brand put its own spin on the loafer, taking inspiration from equestrian events at London’s Savoy Hotel

What: Gucci Horsebit loafer

When: 1953

Legacy: Relaxed but stylish, the loafer was an early example of casual luxury

Ridley Scott’s film about the Italian fashion empire House of Gucci, starring Lady Gaga and Adam Driver, cast a nostalgic look back at the brand’s most iconic motifs. Chief among them is the Horsebit emblem, seen on many of the brand’s pieces, including its luxurious take on the loafer. Though considered an embodiment of La Dolce Vita style, the DNA of the Gucci Horsebit loafer is multicultural, mixing influences drawn from Scandinavia, Britain and pre-colonial America.

Jared Leto as Paolo Gucci wearing horsebit loafers. Photo: AP

Slip on this pair of suede, two-toned loafers with a horsebit embellishment from Gucci. Photo: Handout

The modern men’s slip-on shoe was created by British shoemaker Wildsmith in the 1920s for King George VI. The tongue-tied regent – subject of the film The King’s Speech – had requested a casual shoe he could wear while “loafing” around his country estates.

Tasked by his father Guccio with expanding the family business into the US, Aldo Gucci noted the loafer’s omnipresence among the country’s affluent and had an idea: why not make a variant that was a little sleeker, more luxurious than the somewhat clunky and chunky loafers produced by US and UK shoemakers?

Introduced in parallel with the opening of Gucci’s first Manhattan boutique in 1953, the loafer Aldo created was distinguished by a handsome metal horsebit snaffle across the saddle where preppies had kept their spare change. The horsebit had long been a recurring motif on Gucci’s leather goods, inspired by founder Guccio’s admiration of the British equestrian set during his time working at London’s Savoy Hotel.