<p>Loop-current states arise when interacting electronic degrees of freedom collectively generate interatomic currents, producing a rare form of magnetic order in which spin does not play the primary role. The recent proposal of loop-current states in kagome superconductors has stimulated renewed interest in this exotic type of magnetism. We provide an overview of the phenomenological and symmetry properties of loop currents, as well as relevant microscopic models and ab initio methods in kagome materials. We then discuss how loop-current order generates a spin density wave through spin–orbit coupling and a charge density wave through anharmonic couplings present in systems with three-fold rotational symmetry. We briefly discuss the current status of loop-current order in kagome metals and open challenges, including their experimental detection and interplay with other orders such as superconductivity.</p>