Last February, Gucci’s Alessandro Michele introduced his backless, fur-lined Horsebit loafers to the world. Statement-making but so ridiculously easy and adaptable (yes, even with the fur), the shoe became something of a poster child for fashion’s shift to the streets. People went mad for it and clever Gucci fed the fervour by creating non-fur (i.e. even easier) options in canvas, jacquard and metallics. These were business-in-the-front-lounge-in-the-back shoes. Half-formal, half-chill. The word “effortless” gets tossed around a lot, but these loafers are actually effortless. Oh, these? I just picked whatever and slipped them on!

Michele cannot be credited for having invented the shoe, but he did start something. When Bally, Acne and Celine released shoes that look as though they’d been intentionally stepped on at the back, the backless loafer/slip-on/mule/slipper/slides/sliced loaf (my favourite) officially became the shoe du jour. (These ones from No. 21 and 3.1 Phillip Lim are also puh-retty sweet.) We all suddenly realised that we needed a pair – or five. Sneakers? Bah! Who has the time to slip the entire foot into a shoe?

Styling the backless loafer is easy-peasy. They go with most things – dressy pants, shorts, skirts of varying lengths. Yoyo wore hers with an all-pink Gucci suit that ended at the ankles at Milan Fashion Week. Overly long pants may defeat their purpose, but we’re not going to name any rules.

What do you think of them? Yay or nay?