The Source

A couple of months ago, I compiled a list of penny loafers at various price points. At the time, I mentioned that I didn't know where the Brooks Brothers loafers were made. I happened to be in the store recently, and got a good look at the shoes. They're made in El Salvador. Know who else has penny loafers manufactured in El Salvador? Bass. Coincidence? Probably not.

If you think about it, it makes sense. Brooks Brothers contracts with companies like Alden and Crockett & Jones to make higher-end shoes for them. Brooks wants to offer a traditionally-styled penny loafer at a more reasonable price, but doesn't want to just carry Bass Weejuns because those sell for only around $100 and are available in lots of other places. So Brooks goes to Bass and says hey, can you run up some private-label loafers for us?

There are a couple of minor differences for the almost $100 extra you'd pay for the BB loafers. The leather soles are much darker than the natural tan ones on Weejuns (not that this matters since the color gets scuffed off the soles as soon as you wear them outdoors). The leather used for the uppers seems a bit nicer, with a more natural-looking semi-matte finish instead of the glossy, plasticky look of a typical modern Weejun.

Otherwise, they're pretty much the same shoes. The insides have the same amount of padding, which is to say hardly any (no one buys penny loafers expecting them to be comfort shoes). I don't see a justification for spending almost twice as much, unless you could get them during one of Brooks Brothers' sales.