G.H.Bass

G.H.Bass began in 1876 when George Henry Bass started making boots in Wilton, Maine. His first customers were woodsmen, then aviators, then Admiral Byrd's Antarctic crews. In 1936 came the Weejun, the first penny loafer. It was lifted from the slip-on moccasins Norwegian farmers wore, and the name is Bass's own shortening of Norwegian. The slot across the front is where the penny went. The Larson is the Weejun as it comes, and Oi Polloi stocks it in a smoke paprika leather. The brand still makes loafers today, alongside oxfords and boots. Stockists mention Hollywood and JFK among its wearers, so it's a good name to know if you like your shoes with a story.