Nostalgia: The Gucci Horsebit Loafer Turns 60

A staple of Gucci's history, the Horsebit loafer made its debut in 1953, thanks to Aldo Gucci, the innovative son of company founder, Guccio Gucci. Immediately recognizable, the horsebit with its substantial hardware--the signature double ring & bar--is both classic and contemporary and is an essential shoe for men all over the globe.

Brent Coover, Out's Fashion & Market Editor, provides his own anecdote about the first time he remembers seeing the Horsebit Gucci loafer:

"I was enrolled in an intense art history program in Florence, and I remember walking by the first Gucci store I had ever seen. It was just by the river, and in the window were a pair of bright, beautiful, and rich-grass green suede Horsebit Gucci loafers. They looked so chic and classic--but bold and incredibly expensive. I wanted them terribly. And that Gucci store was so lovely, it just seemed full of history. I have been obsessed with green shoes ever since, and I am always a big fan of a loafer in the summer."

The loafer sustains its 60-year legacy by maintaining its original structure, modernized over the past six decades with constructional enhancements. Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini debuted the 1953 Horsebit Anniversary collection with a wide selection of new materials, colors, textures, and hardware finishes.

Die-hard Horsebit loafer lovers and newcomers alike can agree: This is a collection worth waiting for. Experience it yourself here.