The loafer has quietly become the shoe that holds an entire outfit together, and the block heel version solves the one problem flat loafers never quite crack: they give you a lift without asking anything difficult of you in return. A solid, wide heel means genuine stability. You can walk in these. Properly walk, without that particular concentration flat shoes somehow still demand on uneven ground.

What we love about block heel loafers is the authority they carry. There is something about the combination of the structured upper and the substantial heel that reads as completely pulled together, whether worn with tailored trousers, a midi skirt, or straight leg jeans with the hem just grazing the top of the shoe. That last combination is one of the most reliably good looks going.

We have been pulling together the block heel loafers that actually deliver on both counts, style and wearability, because too many in this category sacrifice one for the other. The ones we have chosen here refuse that compromise. A great block heel loafer is not a sensible choice. It is just a smart one.