Review: Meermin Suede Loafer in Brown
I didn’t know whether I liked loafers or not, but my first pair confirmed it, I actually love loafers. Let’s check out this pair from Meermin to see if they’re as good as they look.
The Specs
| Brand | Meermin |
| Model | 101484 – BROWN SUEDE – E |
| Colour | Brown |
| Retail Price | $175USD + Shipping and Taxes |
| Size Reviewed | 8UK |
| Fit | Full size smaller than sneaker size True to dress shoe size (narrow) |
| Upper Material | Italian suede |
| In Sole | Thick vegetable tanned leather |
| Lining | Grain calf lining |
| Last | Ron E |
| Construction | Good Year Welt |
| Made | China |
| Extras | Dustbags |
| Details | Apron is hand stitched, low instep |
The Look
Dark chocolate. Sexy, delicious, dark chocolate. That’s what these brown suede loafers from Meermin remind me of. The suede is a deep brown that has a few different hues shine through when the light hits it.
A few little marks from transportation were found on the suede, but nothing major that a suede brush could take care of.
Even though the loafer is goodyear welted and should be on the chunkier side, it still gives off a sleeker look. This could be because of the low instep and the narrowness of the last.
Stitching also looks excellent around the shoe, I couldn’t place any loose threads or inconsistent stitching.
The Feel
This is my second pair of Meermin shoes, again they feel quite narrow when on foot. First few days of break in were definitely on the tight side of things and pretty snug all around. But wearing them indoors for increasingly longer periods of time, they’ve slightly stretched and now fit like a glove.
The full grain calf lining and vegetable tanned leather insoles feel good and after breaking everything in, they feel very comfortable.
The dark brown Italian suede is fantastic and feels as good as it looks. As with my suede chelsea boots, I think these are quite versatile, they can be worn both casually and a little dressed up.
I’d also like to note that my normal no-show socks still peeked out from the shoe, this could be because of the low instep. So you could either go sockless, or find socks that are even more no-show.
Is it Affordable?
I’ve said this in the past about good year welted shoes and it’s pretty much still the case here. For a lot of people $175 is a lot of money to spend on shoes. But considering they’re good year welted, which means they can be resoled a whole bunch of times, these loafers are on the more inexpensive spectrum of shoes that are constructed like this.
If you can’t afford good year welted shoes, look for blake stitched shoes, like the Cohen from Beckett Simonon, as they can be a great alternative.
But if you’ve got loafers in your regular shoe rotation, this pair from Meermin could be considered an investment that will last you decades if you take care of them correctly.
If they’re within your personal budget, I’d definitely recommend picking up a pair. This is my second pair from Meermin and I doubt they will be my last.
