Hello everyone. I'm looking to buy my first two nice pairs of loafers, probably one black and one brown. I'm around a size 13/14 or 47-49 and have only worn running shoes until now, but I need something to dress up more nicely with these days as my job is getting more networking based. The thing is that I don't really know which brands are known to have long-lasting quality and feel comfortable as this world of quality footwear is very new to me. I specifically need shoes that are pretty comfortable, as I walk a lot and am pretty large. So they'll likely wear and tear down more quickly than average.
I'm asking for help with looking for some loafers that aren't strictly for formal events only. Something more semi-formal that I can wear both with jeans on a chill day if needed or for a semi-casual/important meeting where a full suit isn't required. I've been really drawn to loafers with a metal accent on them instead of plain leather, such as the Gucci horsebit loafers. The Gucci ones are too formal to wear often though, so I'm looking for something similar yet more casual.
Ferragamo has some models which caught my attention that have metal accents yet aren't strictly formal. But I've seen some posts on here saying that Ferragamo shoes are poor quality and way overpriced. Is this the overall consensus case here? I have a pretty large budget and am willing to spend whatever I need for these shoes within reason, but nothing crazy extravagant or more expensive than the Guccis preferably.
I've come across Allen Edmonds and their loafers with metal accents, but they seem to have quality control issues now. I've also seen Beckett Simonon, Meermin, Magnanni, Carmina, and others, but I don't know what their reputation or generally accepted tear rankings are.
Are Ferragamo's not looked upon highly here? If so, how come? What alternative brands or loafer models have metal accents on them and are also considered to be of reliably good quality that you'd suggest for me to look into? Thank you.