*I purchased my first pair of Alohas but the second pair (the sandals) were a gift. As usual all opinions are my own.
At the end of last year, after trying the Ganni loafers from the RealReal that were too small, I pre-ordered these chunky loafers from Alohas. I’ve seen them around on Instagram and I have to say their ads got me. Also NGL, their name Alohas got my attention since I’m from Hawaii (sadly it has nothing to do with Hawaii and this is a Spanish brand that makes all their items ethically in Spain). But I was also intrigued by their business model of pre-ordering all items. Basically if you pre-order an item before they’re made you are given a discounted price, and the earlier you order them the lower the rate. Alohas does this so that they can prevent overproduction and waste. It sounds great, but why don’t all brands do this? Because it takes time. I ordered these loafers in October and received them in December. When ordering from a true slow fashion business you’re going to need patience. Some may view this as a deal-breaker but TBH if you love it, then they’re worth waiting for (especially if they’re made mindfully in an effort to be more sustainable).
So how were the loafer? Were they worth waiting for?
Yes, definitely. I love how comfortable these shoes are. Based on the size guide I ordered them a size bigger than my true size (a 39 instead of a 38), but that’s because I knew I wanted to wear socks with them (I wear these Quince socks). The loafers are super comfy with plenty of space for my wide-ish feet. And the soles are super cushioned. I haven’t walked miles in them yet, mostly just out to dinner or grocery shopping, but no blisters. The only drawback I would say is that they’re on the heavier side, though I imagine most all-leather chunky platform loafers are (the Ganni loafers were also heavy). I think it must be due to the lug soles. Also I had to be a bit more careful when driving with these shoes because it definitely gave me more of a “lead foot” with the accelerator. The crystal embellishment is a nice touch on the loafers, though I probably would have ordered these simpler corn leather vegan platform loafers if they were available at the time I purchased. Anyway now that it’s summer I don’t wear these as often, but I can’t wait to bring them out again when the weather cools down.
Because I love these shoes so much I reached out to Alohas to be a part of their affiliate program (I usually do these with brands after buying the product myself so that I can be sure I love them independently of any sort of compensation). And they were nice enough to ask if I wanted something gifted (this doesn’t usually happen, most brands are happy to take the free marketing from a small blog such as this). I couldn’t resist asking for their Harper sandals, which I had been eyeing. Again I had to wait about a month for production and shipping, and again I was more than happy with the result.
For the sandals I went with my usual size, 38, and they fit well. It helps that all the straps are adjustable so it can accommodate a slightly wide foot. I think if your foot is on the narrow side you might want to size down. These sandals are lighter than the loafers, though they still come with a chunky platform sole (though of course still heavier than a sandal without a chunky sole). I’ve been wearing them around doing my errands and have no complaints!
{August 2022 Update: And here’s another bloggers take on Alohas. Happy to see that Kristy also liked what she got for the most part!}