A slip-on shoe without laces or another fastening, usually with a low heel.
A loafer is a slip-on shoe that stays on without laces or a closing buckle. The foot enters through the opening, and the upper must fit closely enough to retain it during wear. The absence of an adjustable fastening makes the shape and fit of the shoe especially relevant. Loafers can carry decorative straps, tassels or metal hardware across the vamp, the front section of the upper. Those details distinguish variants without changing the basic slip-on construction. A monk strap has a different closure because its strap and buckle fasten the shoe.
In job listings
Listings usually ask for footwear experience rather than naming a style, but a loafer is basic vocabulary in a shoe department. An advisor would be expected to tell one kind from another, such as a penny loafer and a plain slip-on. Search local jobs for “footwear”.
