G.H. Bass literally invented the Penny Loafer. It’s true; we wouldn’t have this stellar style if it weren’t for George Henry Bass’s brand. You see, loafers existed before G.H. Bass, but they looked different — they were simpler. G.H. Bass added the leather strip you see above, which stretched across the forefoot, creating a kind of saddle. A subtle cutout just big enough to hold a penny was left at the center, but its intent remains a mystery.
Urban legend says it was trendsetting school kids who put pennies in the cutout first, either in case of an emergency or just because it looked cool. That too is unclear. Ever since — that was the mid 1930s — Weejuns (what they call them) have been a staple in the collective American closet, even as different editions of it (platform, lug, etc.) have come and gone.
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Now, for the first time, G.H. Bass is introducing the first-ever non-leather Weejun, a.k.a. the Cactus Leather Loafer. It’s made using Desserto vegan cactus leather that’s made from nopal harvested in Mexico.
The cactus leather is not only equal to animal hides in terms of performance, comfortability and longevity, it might beat traditional leather in versatility. “Although animal leather is very resistant, it is permeable and can even rot or crack if not dried quickly after it gets wet,” co-founder Adrian López Velarde says.
That means you can take G.H. Bass’s cactus leather loafer places you wouldn’t dare take your Belgians, for example. By combining the water resistant cactus leather and its signature elevated lug sole, the brand has created a truly innovative product — not just a vegan shoe for the sake of signaling.
