G.H.Bass teams up with Nepenthes at Woburn Walk on wedge-soled loafer

G.H.Bass has collaborated with Nepenthes at Woburn Walk on a new take on its Venetian loafer, the latest partnership in the programme marking the American footwear brand’s 150th anniversary.

The release centres on the Cobra Wedge Venetian loafer, crafted in polished leather with a higher-cut vamp that creates a sharper, elongated profile. A Nepenthes metal pin in a brass finish sits on the vamp. The style comes in black and wine leather.

Underfoot, the loafer uses a Vibram Morflex wedge lug sole made from an expanded EVA-based compound, which the brand says is engineered for lightness, flexibility and shock absorption. The wedge construction gives the shoe a lifted profile while retaining its classic style.

Further details include tonal hand-sewn stitching, an unlined construction, a cushioned insole, a branded leather insock, a reinforced welt seam and an EVA midsole. The loafers are handcrafted in El Salvador.

G.H.Bass, founded in 1876, said the partnership brings together two brands with a shared appreciation for heritage design, pairing its American footwear craftsmanship with Nepenthes’ approach of recontextualising classic forms through a subcultural lens.

The drop follows G.H.Bass’s collaboration with Clarks Originals on the Wallabee Weejuns Loafer, which launched on October 1 at 295 dollars. The anniversary programme, which also marks 90 years of the Weejuns penny loafer, launched during Paris Men’s Fashion Week in June and has included events in Berlin, Milan, New York and London, as well as collaborations with Dover Street Market and Karl Lagerfeld.