The short version
- Typical range: £15 – £70 — see the full loafers value guide
- What decides your price: condition, and how well you evidence it in photographs
- Cost to sell here: nothing, at any price
- Category: Shoes & Footwear
Before you photograph it
Ten minutes here is worth more than anything else you will do. Buyers are deciding between your listing and someone else’s, and preparation is what visibly separates the two.
- Look at the welt. A visible stitch line around the sole means the shoe can be resoled, and that is worth saying.
- Clean and polish the uppers, and check the heel for wear and the sole for thinning at the ball of the foot.
- Check any tassel, penny strap or bit hardware is secure and unbroken.
The photographs that sell loafers
Four photographs do almost all the work. Shoot in daylight, near a window, with the item against something plain — and do not use the flash, which flattens texture and hides exactly what buyers are trying to see.
- The pair side on, polished, standing
- Both soles together, showing the welt stitching and wear
- The inside label with brand, size and any ‘made in’ marking
- Any hardware, plus every scuff, crease or heel wear point
Photograph the flaws too. It feels counterproductive, but a listing that shows the worst of an item gets fewer questions, fewer withdrawn offers and fewer arguments at handover. Buyers who can see the damage stop imagining something worse.
Writing the title and description
Brand, style and material: “Leather Penny Loafers, Size 8, Brown” or “Suede Tassel Loafers, EU 42”. Name the maker if there is one, and say Goodyear welted or leather soled if it is true — those phrases bring in buyers who are searching for exactly that.
Then state these in the description, because a buyer who has to ask is a buyer who might not bother:
- Size as marked, with UK, EU and US equivalents, and the width fitting if given
- Upper material and sole material
- Whether the shoe is welted and can be resoled
- Insole length in centimetres, and the condition of the sole and heel
What buyers will actually ask
You will receive the same three messages about loafers. Answering them in the listing itself removes the back-and-forth, and answering them well when they do arrive is what turns an enquiry into a sale.
Look for a stitch line around the welt and say what you see. It is the difference between a shoe with years left and one nearing the end, and it is worth real money.
Give the fitting code from the label if there is one. Loafers have no laces to adjust, so width matters more here than on most shoes.
Photograph the sole. Leather soles are a preference rather than an upgrade for some buyers, so state it and let the right buyer find you.
Pricing it so it actually sells
Start from the honest condition grade rather than the price you hope for. WishThrift listings use five grades — New with Tags, Like New, Good, Fair and For Parts — and what each grade means is worth reading before you choose, because grading up is the most expensive mistake sellers make. It does not raise the price; it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else.
The loafers value guide prices all five grades for this item. Pick your grade, take the figure, and if you sit between two grades price toward the lower one. Items priced honestly sell faster than items priced hopefully, and on a free platform there is no fee eating the difference anyway.
What you keep, compared
On a £42 sale — roughly the middle of the range for loafers — here is what the commission-charging platforms would take, and what you would keep on each:
| Where you sell it | Fee | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| WishThrift | £0 | £42 |
| Poshmark | −£8 | £34 |
| eBay | −£6 | £36 |
| Mercari | −£4 | £38 |
| Etsy | −£3 | £39 |
Seller-side rates verified 26 Jul 2026 — Poshmark: 20% commission on sales of $15 and above; eBay: 13.6% final value fee, plus a per-order fee; Mercari: flat 10% selling fee; Etsy: 6.5% transaction fee, plus a listing fee and payment processing. Percentages are applied to the sterling figure above; the fixed per-order and processing charges those platforms add are quoted in their own currency and are not included here, so the real deductions are slightly larger. Full breakdown: marketplace selling fees compared.
Timing and getting it to the buyer
Steadiest from spring through early autumn, with a lift before Christmas. Quality brands sell year-round to buyers who know the maker; unbranded pairs are seasonal and compete on price.
Post boxed with each shoe wrapped and shoe trees or paper inside to hold the shape. Light and easy to send, which widens your audience well beyond your own town.
WishThrift does not process payments or arrange delivery — you and the buyer agree both directly — so confirm payment has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.
Ready to list it? It takes about two minutes, costs nothing, and there is no commission when it sells — create a free account or see how selling works.
Frequently asked questions
What are used loafers worth?
Typically £15 to £70, with recognised welted makers considerably above. See the loafers value guide for a breakdown by condition.
Is it worth resoling before selling?
Usually not. A resole costs more than it adds on most pairs, and buyers of quality shoes often prefer to choose their own cobbler and sole. Say the shoe is resoleable and let them plan it.
Do creased uppers matter?
Much less than sole wear. Creasing across the vamp is what leather does when it is worn, and buyers of used leather shoes expect it. Polish them, photograph them honestly and price accordingly.
See also: what a used loafers is worth · browse live shoes & footwear listings · condition grades explained.