I've always wanted a pair of Tod's Gommino driving loafers ever since I saw a particularly chic classmate of mine from grad school wear them. But at $495 a pair, it seemed quite a bit for a pair of shoes I wasn't sure I could pull off (they seem a bit of a granny shoe). So when the Felize loafer kept poppin up on my radar (damn you Facebook ads and sponsored posts by other bloggers), I knew I had to try them out. At $178 a pair and Italian-made, these shoes are in my comfortable price-point range (much like Everlane's Italian made shoes). So here is my totally unsponsored review of M.Gemi's loafers.
Because I kept seeing sponsored blog posts and Facebook ads for M.Gemi, I originally felt that these shoes must be a gimmick or not that great (or why else push so hard on the marketing?). BUT I was pleasantly surprised to find these shoes to be AWESOME!
But first a note on sizing. I ordered these in a 38.5. I'm usually a size 7.5-8, and always an 8 in Everlane's narrow shoes. M.Gemi has a great fit finder link on their site that will help you find the right size, and I have to say they're pretty accurate.
Ok back to the awesomeness of the shoe! This is a really well made Italian leather loafer. I chose the bright blue color (because why not, plus I wanted to be the least granny-ish as possible). But I love that they have so many colors for this one style (which also comes in suede now). What I love most about this shoe though is that it's fairly wide especially near the front of the foot. No squeezing or rubbing since the very beginning, so that means no breaking-in period. I wore this out the door the first day I got it and haven't had a blister yet (compare this to Everlane's modern loafer which still gives my blisters a year later, which is why I'm probably going to be selling it soon).
I also love the black rubber nubs on the bottom of the shoe (which come up on the outside of the heel in a very Tod-esque way). The black grippies (as I like to call them), prevent the shoes from being too slippery (a problem with almost all of Everlane shoes, but it does cause some squeakiness on smooth concrete floors) At the heel inside the shoe there's a bit of suede to keep the shoe from slipping off (and prevents blisters).
The only negative thing about these shoes is the lack of arch support. But that can be easily remedied by hidden arch supports like these. But other than that, this shoe is wonderful. I'm excited to try out some of M.Gemi's other offerings.
{Updated Aug 2017: So I've had these Felize loafers for over a year now and since I'm still getting people finding this post (hiya newcomers), I thought I might as well let you know how these shoes are wearing. So after I got these blue ones, I bought the antique pink in suede and then another pair in regular leather in the light beige color. I trashed the blue ones walking around in wet weather and on muddy forest floors (I know these are city shoes and not outdoor hiking shoes. Let's just say I loved them so much I forgot that they won't work for all occasions). I never really use the suede ones since the suede gets so dirty quickly. So I end up wearing the beige ones the most. They've stretched out and formed around my foot so it's a bit lumpy looking (not a smooth round edge) from my toes (maybe I have a weirdly shaped foot?). Anyway my love for these are still going strong and they're the perfect shoe for fall (as long as you have a mostly dry autumn). Also they are the perfect driving loafer since the nubbies grip the pedals easily and they're just so comfy overall!}
If you're interested and want $50 off your first M. Gemi purchase, email gardner_maureen@ymail.com to get your coupon code!