FALL 2026 EDIT · MADE IN ITALY · BY MIKE LOPRIORE
The shoe colors of Fall 2026 are rich suede browns: chocolate, cognac, testa di moro, with forest green as the accent. They pair with denim, camel coats and grey tailoring, which is why they outlast brighter trends. My four picks, handmade in Bergamo, start at $265.
Every October my sister Giada sends me photos from the boutiques in Italy of what women are actually wearing on the street, not what the runway said in February. This year the answer is the same in Milan and Bergamo: brown suede. Not one brown, but a whole family of them, worn with light denim, grey flannel and cream knits.
So here is the palette I built the Fall 2026 collection around, and the four shoes that carry it.
1. Chocolate: Marzia Loafer
Chocolate is the deepest cool brown we work with, and on the Marzia it is cut in Italian suede with a slim gold horsebit across the vamp. The shape is a classic penny loafer with a low stacked leather heel, which is why it works with everything from cropped trousers to a midi skirt. Wear it with pale blue wool trousers and let the chocolate do the talking.
CHOCOLATE
Marzia Loafer
$295 · Italian suede · Gold horsebit
Penny loafer in testa di moro suede with a slim gold horsebit. Handmade in Bergamo. Also in black leather, tan suede, cream and navy.
Shop Marzia →
2. Cognac: Paola Moccasin
Cognac is what we call cuoio in the atelier, the warm saddle-leather tone that gets richer the more you wear it. The Paola Moccasin is the simplest shoe in this post and the one I reach for most: an unlined suede moccasin on a flat leather sole, soft enough to pack flat. It comes in nine colors, but the camel suede and the testa di moro are the two that define the season.
COGNAC
Paola Moccasin
$265 · Italian suede · Flat moccasin
Unlined suede moccasin, hand-stitched apron, flat leather sole. The most-worn shoe in my own closet every fall. Nine colorways.
Shop Paola →
Brown suede is not a trend. It is what Italian women wore before the trend, and what they will wear after it.
3. Testa di Moro: Belfiore Loafer
Testa di moro is the darkest brown in the palette, almost espresso, and it is the one I would pick if you want a brown that reads as formal as black. The Belfiore pairs it with a polished gold horsebit and a slightly higher stacked heel, which gives the loafer enough structure to wear to the office with a wool suit.
TESTA DI MORO
Belfiore Loafers
$295 · Italian suede · Gold horsebit
Suede horsebit loafer in testa di moro with a stacked leather heel. Also in brushed black leather. Handmade in Bergamo.
Shop Belfiore →
4. Forest: Georgetown Loafer
Every palette needs one color that is not brown, and this year it is forest green. The Georgetown is the newest loafer in the collection: a kiltie fringe and suede tassels on the vamp, a chunky lug rubber sole underneath. In camoscio foresta it is the shoe people stop me about. It also comes in moro if you want to stay inside the brown family.
FOREST
Georgetown Loafer
$325 · Italian suede · Lug sole
Kiltie-fringe tassel loafer on a chunky lug sole. Camoscio Foresta or Camoscio Moro. New for Fall 2026.
Shop Georgetown →
Why Italian Suede Holds Its Color
The reason these browns look the way they do is the tannery, not the dye. Our suede comes from Tuscany, where the hides are split thinner and buffed more times than mass-market suede, which gives the nap its depth. In Bergamo, where my father opened his first workshop in 1986, each upper is hand-cut from the center of the hide so the color is even across both shoes. A finished pair has been touched by hand at least seven times. That is why a chocolate Marzia from three falls ago still looks like chocolate.
SHOP THE EDIT
Six shoes in the fall palette
Veronique Ankle Boots
$395
Shop →
The Fall 2026 Collection
Handmade in Bergamo since 1986. Free US shipping over $150. Free returns.
Shop Fall Styles →
Quick Answers
What colors are in for fall 2026 shoes?
Rich suede browns lead fall 2026: chocolate, cognac (cuoio), tobacco and testa di moro, with forest green and deep burgundy as accents. These earth tones pair with denim, camel coats, grey tailoring and cream knits, which is why they outlast brighter seasonal trends.
Is brown suede hard to keep clean?
No. Brush suede with a soft suede brush after wear, protect it once with a colorless waterproof spray before the first outing, and let it air-dry if it gets damp. Italian suede from Tuscan tanneries is denser than mass-market suede and holds its color for years.
What is the difference between chocolate, cognac and testa di moro?
Chocolate is a deep, cool brown; cognac (cuoio in Italian) is a warm reddish tan like saddle leather; testa di moro is the darkest, almost espresso. All three are in our Fall 2026 Marzia, Paola and Belfiore loafers.
Can I wear brown shoes with black clothes?
Yes. A chocolate suede loafer with black trousers is one of the most modern combinations of the season. Keep the rest of the outfit tonal and let the shoe be the only warm note.
Are Michele Lopriore loafers made in Italy?
Yes. Every pair is handmade in our Bergamo atelier, where my father Michele opened his first workshop in 1986. The suede comes from Tuscan tanneries and each pair is touched by hand at least seven times before it leaves.
Which fall loafer should I buy first?
If you want one pair, the Paola Moccasin in camoscio testa di moro ($265) is the most versatile. For something with more presence, the Belfiore ($295) adds a gold horsebit; the Georgetown ($325) adds a lug sole and kiltie fringe.
Con amore,Mike LoprioreDesigner & second-generation Lopriore
