Oxford
Lace-up shoe with closed lacing: the side pieces with the eyelets are sewn underneath the vamp and close flush when laced. This gives a smooth, slim shape; it is more formal than the derby. In black it is the shoe for a dark suit; it does not go with jeans. Not to be confused with Oxford cloth for shirts.
In the catalog
From the Guide
- Derby, Oxford and Budapester are safe with gray, navy, jeans, taupe and olive. With light chinos or linen trousers they are mostly too severe.
Related terms
- DerbyLace-up shoe with open lacing: the side pieces with the eyelets are sewn on top of the vamp and stand slightly apart when laced.
- Oxford clothCotton fabric in a basket weave, usually with a colored warp and a white, somewhat thicker weft.
- Penny loaferSlip-on shoe without laces, with a saddle strap across the vamp that has a small slit cut into it.
- Tassel loaferLoafer with two small leather tassels on a cord that runs around the upper and sits on the vamp.
- Horsebit loaferLoafer with a metal bar shaped like a horse bit across the vamp.
- Belgian loaferVery soft, light slip-on with a small bow on the vamp and a thin, flexible sole.