The loafer is one of the most effortless shoes in menswear and the black version is where it earns its reputation. It works with tailoring when you want to sidestep the formality of a lace up. It works with dark trousers on a Friday when you want to look considered without looking like you tried. The problem is that most men assume a good looking loafer requires serious money. It does not. What it requires is the right last shape, a clean toe, and leather or leather effect uppers that photograph well and wear even better. We have been looking specifically at options that punch above their price point because the value in this category is genuinely strong right now. Bit loafers, penny loafers, and sleeker unadorned versions that let the cut do the talking. The ones in here will not embarrass you next to something that costs three times as much.