Horse Bit Loafer

Andrew McAteer introduced the horsebit loafer style in 2020 as part of his expansion into hard-soled footwear. The design was inspired by vintage World War I French boots that had been chopped down below the ankle by a veteran.

The Horse Bit Loafer is constructed entirely by hand using traditional handwelted methods. Unlike conventional footwear manufacturers who use stitching machines for welting, McAteer carves a "holdfast" around the edges of the sole and manually threads every stitch between the upper and outsole using a curved awl. This handwelting process requires between two to three hours per individual shoe, contributing to the two to three days needed to complete a full pair.

Each loafer is built on custom wooden lasts that McAteer hand-whittles specifically for his shoe designs. For customers with difficult fit requirements, McAteer may request a foot tracing to make adjustments to his lasts. Orders are typically fulfilled within eight weeks of placement.

The horsebits that define the loafer's design were created using McAteer's background in metalwork. He designed the hardware from scratch, carving his own wax molds and partnering with a Manhattan-based foundry to cast the bits in solid bronze. After casting, McAteer files and polishes each bronze horsebit by hand in his Queens studio.

The Horse Bit Loafer uses Ridgeway soles imported from England, the same type used by established bespoke cobblers like Edward Green. Other loafer variants from A.E. McAteer may feature vegetable-tanned cowhide uppers and natural latex Lactae Hevea soles.