Step In Style Block Heel Loafers with Buckle Detail

Block heel loafers with a buckle-style ornament, in three colours

These block heel loafers from Step In Style sit between a flat and a pump. You slip them on like a loafer, and the low, broad heel gives you a little height that you can walk on all day. A strap with a dark ornament runs across the instep.

They come in brown, black and taupe, in sizes 36 to 40. The maker lists the insole length per size, from 23.5 cm to 26 cm.

At a glance

The piece: one loafer, three model numbers

The supplier lists each colour as its own model: 226084 is brown, 226085 is black and 226492 is the one we call taupe. Only the last one comes with a description. It speaks of loafers on a stable block heel, with gently rounded toes, a decorative detail at the front and a soft insole. The photos show that the brown and the black pair have the same shape, so we use that description for all three.

The photos add the details. A seam runs around the top of the toe. The ornament is a dark, buckle-shaped bar in the middle of the strap. On the brown pair the heel has a layered wood look, on the black and taupe pairs it is plain black.

One thing we leave out on purpose is the material of the upper. The supplier's text makes a claim for the taupe model that we have not been able to confirm, and gives nothing for brown and black. We would rather leave a gap than repeat something we can't stand behind. Ask us if you want us to check with the supplier before you order.

Who they're for

For you if your working week asks for neat shoes and your feet ask for something low. A block heel spreads your weight over a wider base than a slim heel does, which is why many women find it easier for long days.

They also suit you if you like the look of a classic loafer and want it a touch dressier. The heel does that, and the ornament finishes it.

Closer look: what the supplier says and what the photos show

• Loafer on a stable block heel (supplier)
• Gently rounded toe (supplier), slightly squared at the front (photos)
• Decorative detail at the front (supplier): a strap with a dark buckle-shaped ornament (photos)
• Soft insole (supplier)
• Seam around the top of the toe (photos)
• Heel with a wood look on brown, black heel on black and taupe (photos)
• Taupe pair shaded darker towards the toe (photos)
• Insole length 23.5 to 26 cm (size table)

The heel height is not in the supplier data. In the photos it is low, clearly lower than the shoe is wide.

Materials and build: what we know and what we do not

We know the build. It is a slip-on shoe with a closed heel, a block heel under it and a soft insole inside, according to the supplier.

We do not have a confirmed material for the upper, the lining or the sole. The supplier provides no composition table for these shoes. In the photos the upper is smooth with a soft sheen, and that is as far as a photo can take us.

Size and fit: measure your foot first

The table below is the maker's and is the same for all three colours. Note the step between 38 and 39. Sizes 36, 37 and 38 go up by half a centimetre, from 23.5 to 24.5 cm. Size 39 then jumps a full centimetre to 25.5 cm, and size 40 is 26 cm.

Measure your foot from heel to longest toe and choose the size whose insole is slightly longer. A loafer has no laces to tighten, so a size that is too big will slip at the heel. If your foot length falls in that gap between 38 and 39, we would pick 39 and add a thin insole if needed.

Size chart (cm)

Source: the maker's size table, the same for all three colours. Insole length is the inside of the shoe from heel to toe.

Styling: show the ankle

In the photos the loafers are worn with cropped tailored trousers that have a turn-up, and with bare ankles. That bit of skin between hem and shoe is what makes a loafer look light.

The supplier suggests tailored trousers, dresses and skirts. We agree, and would add straight jeans for Friday. The brown pair is lovely with camel and olive, the black with grey tailoring, and the taupe with cream and soft pastels.

Where you wear them

The supplier sees them at work, in meetings and at occasions that ask for a classic look. Think of the office, a presentation, a lunch with clients or a parents' evening at school.

They are indoor-and-pavement shoes. Nothing in the data tells us how they handle rain, so we make no promise there.

Care: check the leaflet in the box

The supplier data has no care instructions, and because we can't confirm the material we won't give material-specific advice either. Follow the leaflet or label that comes with the shoes.

What is safe for any smooth shoe: wipe off dirt with a soft dry cloth and let wet shoes dry at room temperature.

The wow detail: the heel on the brown pair

On the brown loafers the heel is finished in layers of lighter and darker brown, like the stacked heels on old-school brogues. It picks up the warm tone of the upper and gives the shoe a hand-finished look from behind. The black and taupe pairs keep the heel black, which is quieter and a little sharper.

Fashion that gives back

5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose. The causes are matched to 11 of the 17 SDGs, the global goals set by the United Nations, and you decide where your share goes.

Our promise

Ships from the maker's wholesale partner in Poland, inside the EU, with tracking. The wholesaler lists up to 3 days to prepare an order; within the EU delivery usually takes 2–7 business days after dispatch. Delivery is free within the EU on orders from €69; below that it costs €4.95 in the Netherlands and €6.95 elsewhere in the EU.

You have 30 days after delivery to ask for a return, as long as the shoes are unworn and come back in their original packaging. Our promise is plain: if what arrives does not match what this page says, send it back within 30 days and we refund you.

More shoes are in our footwear collection.