So You Want to Buy a Snoafer …
There’s nothing that gets us going quite like a vaguely orthopedic shoe — be it a mary jane that seems to be from “an old-lady shoe store in Rome” or comfortable clogs strangers on the street ask to try on. Recently, a new vaguely orthopedic shoe has caught our eye: the “snoafer,” or sneaker loafer. It’s exactly what you think it is. It began with New Balance’s 1906L, which might’ve done more for the discourse than Maison Margiela’s Tabi did for flats. Since then, we’ve seen Hoka’s Speed Loafer and Puma’s Sophyr Loafyr. Plus Converse is set to sell one too. As the Strategist’s loafer and occasional sneaker writer, I’m trying to keep up with every single one. Here, I rounded up all sorts of snoafers, many of which would make your podiatrist proud.
Update on July 21, 2025
We updated prices and checked stock for all snoafers. A few price increases of note: Vivaia’s went from $129 to $169, and Rombaut’s went from $457 to $468. And the New Balance 1906Ls are available only on resale sites now.
New! You can now save this product for later.
First shown at Paris Fashion Week last year, New Balance’s 1906L quickly turned into, let’s say, a conversation starter (The Wall Street Journal referred to it as a “frankenshoe”). It’s become a hot-ticket item for hypebeasts and resellers alike and has been auctioned off for twice the original price tag at places like Goat.
New! You can now save this product for later.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Aquatalia Katya
A snoafer that’s neither too sneaker nor too loafer, for the snoafer-skeptical.
New! You can now save this product for later.
If Dr. Scholl’s slides “may not be a paragon of orthopedic support,” its slip-ons surely are.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Cole Haan ZERØGRAND Meritt Stitchlite Loafers
A study in unconventional materials, these snoafers are made with Cole Haan’s trademarked FlowerFoam, a rubber from dandelions, and a Stitchlite knit (which, unlike Rothy’s, is not machine-washable).
New! You can now save this product for later.
Since the beginning of the Strategist site, we’ve believed Danskos are endearingly fugly. (Someone once broke into Stephanie Danler’s car and stole everything except her Danskos.) Now, the brand is making a not-too-fugly snoafer.
New! You can now save this product for later.
I don’t doubt these Keds-coded Naturalizers will be comfortable, as New York deputy editor Alexis Swerdloff packed a similar pair for a trip to Portugal years ago. They were “totally innocuous (in that you wouldn’t be able to tell what brand they were)” and got her through the cobblestone streets.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Sketchers x Martha Stewart Arch Fit Living
News to me: There’s a Sketchers and Martha Stewart collection. Of course, arch support abounds. I’d like to think Stewart might have these on while selling wicker chairs at a tag sale or touring Logee’s for a Philodendron Birkin.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Our resident runner, associate editor Jeremy Rellosa, alerted the Strategist staff about the Speed Loafer. (Runner’s World called it Hoka’s “most unhinged shoe yet.” ) And while the original run (pun intended) sold out quickly, a restock is in the works.
[Editor’s note: These loafers are currently sold out, but you can sign up for restock notifications on the product page.]
New! You can now save this product for later.
To speed up your speed-walking, there’s “shock-absorbing cushioning, a deep heel cup for stability, and forefoot flexibility.” It seems to be a real walking shoe!
New! You can now save this product for later.
And this may be the one that gives you the springiest step here.
New! You can now save this product for later.
It’s cousin to the waterproof Weejun.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Some sartorial history: Henri Bendel’s nephew is credited with bringing Belgium loafers to the States. They became a fixture of the downtown set (including Isaac Mizrahi and even Bernie Madoff).
New! You can now save this product for later.
Filmmaker Grear Patterson, artist Chase Hall, and Steven Spielberg all wear Mephistos. The Titouan is something you’d see on a White Lotus yacht-deck extra or a Nantucket dad in lieu of a Sperry boat shoe.
New! You can now save this product for later.
For the Ssense shopper: some Rombauts to be styled with Fear of God or Vetements.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Tod’s Sporty Loafers
Kendall Roy would’ve had these custom-sized for the performance of his “rap opus ‘L to the OG’” (and Jeremy Strong would’ve had them on to get “into character” in a dressing-room rehearsal).
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
