UnMarked's Loafer is a Versatile Style Slayer

I've been vocal about my love of penny loafers. They just look good. The only trick is finding a pair you can wear every day, in casual settings. Which, these days, for me, is almost every setting. Because, you know, your boy is usually striving to keep it relaxed to the max.

So recently, I've been on a mission to find a loafer I can wear with anything and everything. Something not too dressy, but retaining that loafer vibe. Something with FLAIR. I love my Bass Weejuns, but let's face it, wearing that shoe every day just ain't realistic if you are living the Cortisian lifestyle.

Thanks to the fine folks at Unmarked Handcrafted, I've found the shoe that fits the bill– their exquisitely comfy and unabashedly different Jack Penny Loafers.

Integrating Quality, Leading with Style

Mexico's Unmarked separates itself from some of the other high-quality boot & shoe brands with its truly unique selection of styles. From the stunning Super Natural Boots to the murdered-out Antique Black Riot Boots, Unmarked has a knack for sick eye-catching designs to go with their burgeoning reputation (and 10+ years of cred) as one of the hottest bootmakers in North America. With a focus on handmade quality and featuring sturdy Goodyear welts and handmade construction, Unmarked serves up a vibey, viable alternative to some of the more well-known boot brands like Red Wing and Alden— while offering some unique twists on the genre.

The Challenger: Jack Penny Loafers in Green Goat

Needless to say, when the gang from Unmarked reached out to me to sample some of their wares, I was fired up. With such a wealth of dope styles, I was hard-pressed to choose, but when I saw the Jack Penny Loafers in Green Goat Leather, I knew I had to give these bad boys a try. Unique looks, solid features, still retaining the classic loafer vibe– could these be the shoes I've been looking for? Cue the music...

First Impressions

Not disappointed.

This is indeed one of the most unique looks in a loafer I've seen. The pale green hue is sick. I'm told the color is achieved by a special white wax treatment, and inspired by the elegant agave plants of Mexico.

I was pleasantly surprised at how "broken in" they appeared when I received them. The hue of green was a bit paler than I anticipated but really unique. Flecks of black peppered the leather. Dope. The premium goat hide (sourced from the renowned Northam Tannery in León) has a waxy, papery feel— not a burly hide. But if you are looking for a loafer, you aren't looking for excess heft.

Breaking Em' In

Time to wear these things. The break-in process was fairly immediate. A simple walk around Ojai did the trick. And I just went from there. Trails, city, down to the beach, etc. I walk the kiddos to school most days down a country road past some orange groves, and it gets a bit dusty, but I've rocked these badboys on most mornings with no shame. In fact, in all honesty, I have barely taken these shoes off since getting them.

2 Months Later

I usually keep a fairly rotational rotation of shoes going. A typical week might include Birk Clogs, Fragment Nike Undercover Daybreaks or Vejas, beat-up Common Projects Achilles or old Cons, and the combo of Visvim Virgils/Red Wing/Astorflex.

But these loafers have blown my rotation to shreds! I've been rocking them almost nonstop since I got them. Why? Here are some highlights.

Crepe Sole

The crepe sole look is underrepresented in general— I think it looks fantastic on a loafer. After wearing these every day for a month, I can report zero problems in the comfort department. I also like how the crepe looks in general.

Goes with anything and everything

I've worn these with all my dopest jeans, my and wander Gramiccis, some shorts once or twice. I indulge in quite a few different fits of jeans, mostly straight-legged but all featuring various levels of bagginess, and they look 🔥 with all outfits.

Did I talk about the color?

The agave green is so cool. But don't sleep on the Unmarked's full seledtion– I would definitely try some of the other looks if I got a chance.

Unmarked offers the Jack Penny Loafer in a mouth-watering variety of styles.

Downsides

I did manage to stub the toe strong enough to separate the crepe slightly, right in front. However, I chalk this up to user error. This is why I was never good at soccer; I always went in toe first and could never figure out how to wrap my foot around it. Nothing a little shoe goo can't fix.

Also, as I mentioned, I walk quite a bit on a dirt road and in the orange groves around here, and the crepe sole picks up dirt pretty quickly, but it still looks fine.

Aside from all that, no complaints.

Dopeness in the details:

Waxed Goat Leather Upper (!)
Calf Leather Lining
Vegetable tanned leather Insole/leather footbed and channeled leather
Veg Tan Leather midsole with cork cushioning
Natural crepe outsole
Goodyear welt construction
DOPE unique color

The Verdict: 4.5 Smiling Apples

The look of these loafers is so cool, and I've been consistently shelving my regular footwear in putting the Jack Penny atop my footwear rotation. Unique styling is really where Unmarked hits a home run, and I'm so pleased that the quality seems on par with the looks.

I hate to repeat myself, but the comfort level of these crepe-soled beauts combined with the Goodyear welt construction and the utter uniqueness of the agave leather really makes these a big winner.

If you are the kind of guy who values uniqueness, as I know you are, I highly recommend giving the Jack Penny Loafers a try. And if you want to be like me, but in a different color or with the Danite sole, peep some of the other options.

P.S. Unmarked followed up by sending me a pair of their Vibram-soled Workman Boots to try out, so stay tuned for a review on those badboys.