# Yes, I have pennies in my pennyloafers. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 20, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-have-pennies-in-my-pennyloafers/285771 "2005-01-20T19:28:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-have-pennies-in-my-pennyloafers/285771/21 "2005-01-21T03:44:10Z")
And… _penis ensues_ I’m sorry, I loved it, and I will forever love it! ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-have-pennies-in-my-pennyloafers/285771/22 "2005-01-21T04:01:11Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Wow. I somehow missed the memo on this one. Sure I’ve heard of penny loafers. I think I even have some around. But I’ve never seen or heard anyone ever actually putting pennies in them. Is this a real tradition, or am I being totally whooshed here? They’re not penny loafers if there’s no pennies in 'em, silly. What else would you put in that little slot? And if you WEREN’T gonna put pennies in the slot, why would you buy penny loafers? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-have-pennies-in-my-pennyloafers/285771/23 "2005-01-21T04:15:50Z")
> [@LifeOnWry](#): > > They’re not penny loafers if there’s no pennies in 'em, silly. What else would you put in that little slot? And if you WEREN’T gonna put pennies in the slot, why would you buy penny loafers? Well, I’ll be darned. 29 years and no one sent me the informational packet. Eh, we all have our embarrassing gaps in cultural knowledge I guess. (I had one girlfriend who, at prom, stared down at her dessert plate to ask “What’s this?” I smiled and giggled, assuming she was joking. “No, seriously, what is this?” "Umm…that’s apple pie, dear…You know, as in ‘As American as…’ " Born and raised in this country, yet somehow managed to elude apple pie for 17 years. Well, I eluded the meaning behind pennyloafers for 29, I guess.) ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-have-pennies-in-my-pennyloafers/285771/24 "2005-01-21T04:52:20Z")
> [@rocking chair](#): > > not only do i put pennies in penny loafers, i use pennies that have the year i bought the loafers on them. i know exactly how old my loafers are. > > just call me “super nerd.” No, that’s super cool. But why do pennies go in penny loafers? ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-have-pennies-in-my-pennyloafers/285771/25 "2005-01-21T13:18:16Z")
> [@Harimad-sol](#): > > No, that’s super cool. > > But why do pennies go in penny loafers? Luck. What other use is there for pennies? ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-have-pennies-in-my-pennyloafers/285771/26 "2005-01-21T13:21:47Z")
> [@Marsie](#): > > Because most of the yuppies who wear “Weejuns” nowadays are too prissy to be seen with pennies in their shoes. If I were in a room of 100 people wearing penny loafers, I’ll bet you that the ones with the pennies in 'em would be the only ones worth talking to! I think it’s almost a rarity for anyone to wear weejuns today, much less with pennies. Most of the dress shoes I see have tassels and crap like that. If I have time, I’ll post the pictures of my weejuns, so people may see where the pennies go. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-have-pennies-in-my-pennyloafers/285771/27 "2005-01-21T19:43:19Z")
My older brother in high school (the '60s) had penny loafers, but the “cool kids” in his class put tinfoil on the pennies to make them silver. Don’t ask me why they simply didn’t put in a nickel or dime. Also during this time, guys had shirts with little loops on the back…called Fruit Loops, and if it was ripped off, they had a girlfriend and if it wasn’t, they were single. Again, don’t ask me why. I am just offering another inance anthropological high school tidbit from the 60’s. Oh, and I seem to recall there was also some significance if the penny was heads up or tails up in the shoe, but…well, must have fogotten that important fact. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-have-pennies-in-my-pennyloafers/285771/28 "2005-01-21T21:29:18Z")
Those loops were called Fag Tags in my time. If they were ripped off, you were… gasp… gay. Jocks would rip them off of geeks and laugh heartily. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-have-pennies-in-my-pennyloafers/285771/29 "2005-01-22T04:08:43Z")
in the olden days weejuns were a rich deep brown. only. then someone decided that it would be hip to have an option for black ones. i have seen people put dimes in the black shoes because the silver colour looked better than the copper. the coin is usually heads up. i haven’t bought a new pair of pl’s since bass outsourced and closed the us plant. gotta get the old ones resoled sometime. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-i-have-pennies-in-my-pennyloafers/285771.md?page=1)