Gentlemen are not strange to Oxford shoes, but for men who are not accustomed to the elegant, luxurious style, they is often mistaken for the Oxford shoe and leather men's laces shoes. Therefore, they use them in wrong way and wrong occasion. The article below will give you the basic information about this popular western shoe.

History of Oxford shoes

The famous Oxford shoes are from Scotland & Ireland. In the past, the Oxford was called Balmoral named after Balmoral Castle - the workplace of talented craftsmen who made the shoe, which was then renamed Oxford, after the name of a school. But, the old name - Balmorals is still preferred by British immigrants to the United States.

There are no specific dates for the arrival of Oxford. However, from the beginning of the 18th century, Oxford shoes were available in the United States, quickly being loved by men and brought to other continents through wars or migration.

Get to know Oxford

Oxford shoes are one of two lines of laces shoes that are Oxford and Derby. Both types of shoes have the same features that the upper part is attached to the lower part of the shoe and they are made by Goodyear Welt technology. But when you look closely, you will notice the difference between them such as the location of the laces, the soles of the shoes, the sewing thread or the uppers and the patterns of the shoe. The most important feature to distinguish Oxford from other traditional shoes is the eyelets are placed under the upper. This type of shoes is sometimes called "closed front", because the front of the shoe is always closed together with the lanyard.

Oxford shoes are made from high quality leather, which is a tight-fitting strap, and gives you a stylish, elegant look that is often used by gentlemen in the events like meetings, the signing ceremony, wedding,....

Some popular types of Oxford 

Oxford shoes are slippery

This type consist of the upper and lower that are attached together. They have simple but elegant style and black color. This kind of shoe belongs to the top of the shoes that can be combined with all types of costumes.

Oxford Wholecut

Instead of stitching together, Oxford Wholecuts are made from a single piece of leather. Thus, the wholecut shoes are very seamless and polite. Wholecut shoes can also be decorated with sinking motifs. In recent years, wholecut is also popular. A sleek wholecut pair will be the perfect accessory for your elegant suit.

However, this type of shoe is very picky skin, so unless you buy shoes genuine, it is best not to use wholecut. A cheap wholecut will use poor quality leather and is easy to wrinkle. Wholecut shoes are usually much more expensive than others.

Oxford wholecut shoes also have another version called "seamless". Seamless is also made from a piece of leather but do not have a sewing line. Seamless is more difficult to make than Wholecut and there are few shops oferring this type of shoes.

Oxford Cap Toe

This is the most popular type of Oxford. Oxford toe cap is added a piece of leather on the shoe toe. It is still simple enough and elegant to carry on most important occasions, especially in the not-too-serious environment. A black or dark brown pair of Oxford cap toe is suitable with a suit and this outfit is the basic attire of the office gentlemen.

Oxford Brogue

Brouge is a term that refers to perforated holes in the shoe vamp. These holes were created to help the water escape as it is used in muddy conditions, but today it is only aesthetic and decorative. Oxford Brogue shoes are divided into several categories, depending on the number and location of the perforated holes on the shoe. Decorative patterns like this will reduce the seriousness and politeness of Brogue compared to other styles. Depending on the color, Brouge will usually suit to chinos, jeans or suit, trousers and shirts. Unlike the usual, a pair of brown Brogue will be easier to mix rather than black.

No matter who you are or what you do, there should be a basic pair of shoes like Oxford in your closet. Use the knowledge above to choose a pair of Oxford that fit to you.