Loafers - known as slip-on shoes - started getting trendy in the early 1950s after people discovered the penny loafers. Aldo Gucci, part of the Gucci family then stumbled upon something
that is today known as the Horse-Bit Loafers. He took a horse-bit, mouthpiece worn by horses for the purpose of the rider to direct the horse, and placed it upon a simple penny loafer. This changed how loafers were perceived and today we put not just the horse-bit, but several types of buckles on loafers, creating a style statement.
At Sola Doro, we decided to create our won version of the Horse-Bit by mixing up fragments of different elements in the construction, shape, form and design of the shoe, our Loafers have to be special. To create this beautiful shoe, we bootstrapped and started by forming the perfect last for this shoe. Our Master shoemakers crafted a wooden last by carving a piece of wood into a mould of the human foot. Only being patient, our craftsmen slowly and steadily carved the last to the perfect desired shape, now we were ready to create art on the loafers.
Leather is essential, but the quality and finish matters. The smallest of details matter - and this led to us in search of the finest pebble grain calfskin hide of leather to make our upper. After procuring the piece, our master craftsmen cut every piece of leather to form the pattern of the shoe - individually by hand.
Our founder is a passionatel Equestrian (Horse-Mounted Sports) and Polo Player in Mumbai and he was very selective about using the correct Horse-Bit, but we did something with a twist. A standard Horse-Bit Loafer has space in the circles on the two ends of the metal piece, but we created a special Horse-Bit that has a round ball within the circle of the Horse-Bit.
In today’s machine world, a different essence is felt wearing a truly “Handcrafted Shoe”. Everyday, our shoemakers practice their art to create Shoes - a wearable piece of Art that is truly one of a kind!