I’m in my loafer era, and I’ve been meticulously building a curated collection of loafers. It's not enough for them to just be cute; they need to be comfortable enough to take on the streets of NYC. So, I’ve started putting all my new loafers to the ultimate comfort test — I wear them straight out of the box and spend the whole day in them. The rules include: no Ubers, walk if it’s close enough to walk to as opposed to public transit, no switching shoes, and no insoles or other comfort modifications. If I can’t make it the whole day in them, they aren’t worth it. The first pair I could wear for a full 12 hours pain and blister-free was Aldo’s Bigstrut Loafers.

The chunky slip-on loafers come in black and a textured metallic shade in sizes 5 through 11. They feature a smooth faux leather exterior, a rubber outsole with a lightweight 1-inch platform, and a 1.5-inch heel with great grip and traction. There’s also a plush memory foam insole insert that’s removable and provides arch support and all-day comfort.

Aldo’s Bigstrut Loafers

I started my day at 9 in the morning. I wore tights under white socks, a black skirt, an off-the-shoulder long-sleeve top, a bomber jacket, and the star of the show, Aldo’s chunky loafers. They were fresh out of the box. I slipped them on, and my first impression was that the insoles felt like pillows. I stepped around my room in them, and my shoes weren’t flipping off my feet, which is a huge issue with other styles. These were secure, and though they had a platform, they didn’t weigh my feet down. I didn’t want to get too excited before learning how they’d hold up throughout the remainder of the day.

A little after noon, I had been wearing them for three hours, and I still didn’t have foot fatigue from the chunky platform. On slick surfaces, they didn’t squeak and had a good grip. I was nervous about rubbing on my skin because they were so new, but I didn’t have any blisters or red irritated spots. So far, so good. 

Around dinner at seven, I was feeling the usual foot soreness from being on my feet all day, but in comparison to even some of my comfortable tennis shoes, the loafers were beating them. I was even able to spend the remainder of the night dancing in them with no pinching or discomfort, and not to mention they were dressy enough that despite having a dress code, I was able to get in without going home to change. Further showing the versatility of these game-changing shoes.

Aldo’s Bigstrut Loafers get five out of five stars from me, and I’m telling everyone to pick them up from Nordstrom before the secret gets out on how comfy and chic these shoes are.