What iconic Gucci shoe features a metal horsebit on the front?

The iconic Gucci shoe with a metal horsebit on the front is the Horsebit loafer.

The design began as a refined slip-on inspired by equestrian equipment, a fitting reference for a company that originally made saddles and leather goods for horsemen. Gucci’s horsebit hardware resembles a snaffle bit and sits across the vamp, giving the otherwise simple loafer a distinctive metallic accent.

Gucci introduced its famous horsebit loafer in the early 1950s; the design is commonly dated to 1953 and is associated with Aldo Gucci’s refinement of the style. Its elegant shape helped move loafers from casual footwear toward dressier settings. In 1985, the Gucci loafer entered the permanent collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

It is often confused with a penny loafer, which has a leather saddle strap with a slot, or a tassel loafer, identified by decorative tassels. The defining clue here is the metal horse-bit link, not merely the slip-on construction.