28/03/2023
Whenever one talks about men’s shoes, two main families appear: oxfords and derbies
So what makes them different? It’s actually quite simple! Here’s how it works…
The difference lies in the lacing. On Oxford shoes, lacing takes the form of a slit that starts at the tongue and runs all the way up to the vamp (the instep). On Derbies, there are 2 independent pieces of leather that are tightened with laces.
Not sure you understand? They say a picture is worth a thousand words:
In blue, a Derby model: look at the base of the lacing, it’s open. On the right, on the Oxford model, the base of the lacing is closed.
In fact, it was quite simple!
Now that you know the difference between these two models, how best to use them?
On the one hand, if you’re wearing a formal outfit (a suit, for example, preferably tailored by yours truly), Oxfords are the way to go; on the other hand, if you’re wearing a more casual outfit, Derbies are the way to go. But beware: this rule, like all others, is designed to be broken!
The shape of the foot depends on the model. At Blandin & Delloye, we use the same foot shape for most of our lines, whether Oxford or Derby.
To see if you understand the difference, here’s a photo of a pair of monk shoes – yes, but Oxford or Derby monk shoes?
Answer: monk Derbies
