A mule is a shoe with an open back, so you step straight in; a backless loafer is a mule with a loafer front. Handmade in leather and made to order in your US size (6–15) and width (D–EEE), or to your own foot measurements at no extra cost. From $199, made in 7–10 working days before dispatch, with a free remake if they don’t fit under our Fit Promise.
Choose a design, then select its offered color, US size and width on the product page.
Browse the current designs below — standard pairs are made to order, with limited batches clearly marked where applicable.
Showing 32 designs
Still unsure about fit? Compare our five lasts → or use the Foot Shape & Last Guide
A backless loafer, also called a loafer mule or an open back loafer, is a loafer with no back, so you step straight in. What sets one pair apart from another is the front of the shoe, so start with the style.
Plain mules have no strap or hardware, so the shape and the leather do all the work. Choose one if you want the quietest pair, for linen trousers, a polo or a knit. Compare the black plain mule in smooth leather, Blake stitched for a closer-cut sole, with the cognac pebble-grain mule, hand-welted, with a hand-laced side detail and a grain that hides small scuffs.
Penny mules keep the saddle strap of a penny loafer across the vamp, so they read as a loafer with the back taken off. They are the easiest backless style to wear with chinos and an open-collar shirt. For restraint, choose the black backless penny loafer, hand-welted in smooth black leather. For colour, choose the blue-black striped patina penny mule, where the shading changes across the leather.
Horsebit mules carry a metal bit across the vamp, which makes them the dressiest backless style: the one for tailored trousers with a shirt or a fine knit. The black horsebit mule sets gold-tone hardware on smooth black leather and is Blake stitched. The olive green horsebit mule uses waxed crazy horse leather, which changes as it is worn, on a hand-welted, closed-channel sole.
Tassel mules add a pair of leather tassels over the vamp for movement and texture. They sit between casual and smart, right for summer evenings and holidays. The royal blue handwoven tassel mule, with handwoven side panels, is the most casual. The burgundy brogue tassel mule adds wingtip broguing and is hand-welted with a closed channel.
Double monk mules close the vamp with two buckled straps, the most structured front in the collection. Wear them with tailored trousers and a jacket when you still want a shoe you can slip on. The navy blue double monk mule in hand-finished leather is the dressier choice; the black square-toe double monk mule in croc-pattern leather is the statement pair.
Looking for a colour or leather you don't see here? Ask about Custom Made.
Match the front of the mule to the outfit.
With tailored trousers or a summer suit, choose a strap or hardware on a smooth or embossed leather, such as the cognac croc-embossed penny mule. For evenings out, patent and patterned leathers catch the light: the brown patent leather mule or the black tassel mule in ostrich-pattern leather. With chinos, linen and shorts, texture looks right: the blue suede penny mule, the cognac handwoven tassel mule or the cognac woven-embossed wholecut mule. For everyday wear and travel, the teal patina buckle mule sits on a ridged Vibram sole, a sturdier base than leather. For formal events, choose a closed-heel loafer or an Oxford.
No heel counter, so your instep holds the shoe on.
A mule should sit snug across the top of your foot, so you walk without gripping with your toes. Your heel should rest on the back of the footbed, not hang over it; if it hangs over, the pair is too short. If the mule slaps against your heel as you walk, the instep is too loose. Choose width from your measurements before length: if you have a high instep or a wide forefoot, go up a width (D, E, EE or EEE) rather than a size, because a longer shoe only moves your heel further from the back edge. Every design is offered in US 6 to 15, including half sizes.
The finish changes the look, the care and how the pair ages.
Smooth leather takes a polish and looks sharpest with trousers; patent needs only a wipe with a soft cloth. Suede has a napped surface that looks relaxed; brush it after wear and treat it with a suede protector before wet weather. Pebble-grain has a raised grain that hides small scuffs better than smooth leather. Waxed crazy horse leather lightens where it is scuffed, and most marks rub back with a cloth. Croc-embossed and ostrich-pattern leathers are pressed with a pattern, giving texture without exotic skin. Handwoven leather has an open texture: brush dust out of the weave. Hand-painted patina is coloured by hand, so no two pairs match exactly; care for it with a neutral cream.