G.H.BASS Celebrates 150 Years with a New Chapter for the Original Penny Loafer

There are few pieces of menswear that can genuinely claim to have shaped the way men dress. The penny loafer is one of them. This year, G.H.BASS marks 150 years since the company was founded, while also celebrating 90 years of the Weejuns®—the shoe widely recognised as the world's first penny loafer.

Founded in Wilton, Maine, in 1876 by George Henry Bass, the American footwear maker built its reputation on practical, purpose-built shoes designed for explorers, outdoorsmen and sportsmen. Early designs such as the National Plough Shoe, Bass Moccasin Cruiser and Rangeley boot found admirers including Charles Lindbergh, Admiral Richard E. Byrd and golfer Bobby Jones. Yet it was a casual slip-on introduced in 1936 that would define the brand's place in menswear history.

Inspired by a traditional Norwegian farming shoe spotted by an Esquire editor at Palm Springs resorts, G.H.BASS reimagined the silhouette for an American audience, christening it Weejuns® as a playful reference to its Scandinavian roots. What began as a relaxed interpretation of European workwear quickly evolved into one of the most enduring shoes ever produced.

The Weejuns® has spent the past nine decades moving effortlessly between worlds. It became a fixture on Ivy League campuses before finding favour with jazz musicians, artists, Hollywood actors and presidents alike. Worn by everyone from John F. Kennedy and Paul Newman to Miles Davis and Michael Jackson, the loafer's appeal has always been its ability to feel equally appropriate with tailoring, denim or relaxed summer separates. Few shoes have enjoyed that level of cultural longevity without losing their relevance.

To mark the dual anniversary, G.H.BASS is launching a special capsule collection featuring anniversary editions of the Weejuns® penny loafer and an Ivy League-inspired loafer, complete with a commemorative penny detail. Ranger and Camp Moc boots also return with anniversary embossing that acknowledges the brand's outdoor heritage.

The celebrations extend well beyond the footwear itself. Launching during Paris Men's Fashion Week, the year-long programme includes events across Paris, Milan, Berlin, London and New York, alongside editorial projects, archive storytelling and collaborations with names including Nepenthes' Woburn Walk, Dover Street Market and Karl Lagerfeld. Partnerships spanning fashion, music and food reinforce what G.H.BASS has always understood: great design doesn't simply survive changing tastes—it becomes part of the culture that shapes them.