In 1876, George Henry Bass created the G.H. Bass shoe company, and in 1910 he introduced the world to the elegant comfort of the camp Mocc, a soft leather moccasin that challenged the hard dress shoes of the day.
The moccasin continued to evolve for the ultimate in comfort until Bass stepped on perfection with the Weejun penny loafer in 1936.
An instant hit and status symbol for sophisticated leisure, the Weejun was embraced by the entire family.
The chic leather slip-on derived its name from “Norwegian”, the ethnicity of its founder. Weejuns are also referred to as penny loafers because of a semi-pocket featured on the vamp, into which a penny can be slipped.
Some believe the penny pocket is for good luck, while others use it to carry spare change.
Girls in the 50s were always told to have enough money on them to make a call home when they went out. And now, instead of pennies, a dime was kept in the pocket, just in case their dates got a little fresh.
Penny loafers were as popular as saddle shoes in the 50s and have been an attractive universal fixture for feet throughout the years.
