Men's Oxford Shoes

Men’s Oxford Shoes: Formal And Casual Wear!

Men’s Oxford dress shoes are one of the most common men’s shoes. They are highly versatile as you can wear them on many and multiple occasions. There are different types of Oxford shoes, and knowing about them helps you distinguish their usage. 

Classic Oxford dress shoes are often identified based on their characteristic lacing. However, there are other lace-up shoes like derby shoes. Here is how you can identify a guy’s Oxford shoe.  

Unlike any other shoes like monk strap shoes with buckles or easy-to-slip-in men’s loafers, Oxford shoes have a closed lacing system. Further, you will see a 1 to 1.5 inches slim and elegant heel in your Oxford shoes which makes them a very formal footwear. However, there are exceptions to flat soles in Oxford sneakers. They are not deemed as formal wear, though. 

Oxford dress shoes may have a decorative cap toe depending on the style. It may have broguing, medallions, or just left pain. With certain types of decoration, leather Oxfords become more casual than formal. Color also matters as men’s black oxfords are more classic and formal while other colors are not as formal. 

History of Oxford Shoes

The history of leather Oxford shoes is very interesting. It all started with tall boots and ended up with today’s modern-style low-ankle shoes. Earlier men would wear boots up to their knees, much like custom cowboy boots, with their trousers tucked in, as the trousers became fuller men went for other elegant-looking footwear that wasn’t as tall as these boots. 

Since men wouldn’t tuck in their trousers, many shorter boots like Chelsea boots, Balmorals, and Button boots came into being by the 1800s. Chelsea boots are popular even today due to their ease of usage. The other two are not as common because wearing them is a hassle. 

Later, students who were looking for comfortable footwear started wearing something in between Balmoral lace-up shoes and evening slip-on pumps. It was low and tighter on the ankle which made it easy to wear as well. 

Because of the popularity of Oxford University, these new shoes worn by the students were named Oxford shoes. These shoes were not initially a part of formal wear and men would still wear boots formally. But after the graduation of these students, these Oxford leather shoes also went a class higher, as men now wore them in all formal settings. 

Different Types of Oxford Shoes

We all can agree that Oxford shoes have been around for such a long time that they naturally have many different types. 

Classic Plain Men’s Oxford Shoes

This is one of the most classic shoes that you can wear to a black or white tie event. This style of Oxford dress shoes for men doesn’t have any broguing and also no leather toe caps. It is plain but extremely elegant and a timeless footwear for the gentlemen. Of course, it comes in different colors like brown but black is more formal so men often wear their men’s black Oxford shoes to formal events. 

Wholecut Men’s Oxford Shoes

This sleek style of Oxford shoes is different from any other leather shoes. Unlike most leather shoes that are made with multiple pieces of leather, the upper of whole-cut Oxfords is made with one single piece. It only has one seam at its heel. 

These Oxford-style shoes are a wonderful craftsmanship marvel. More leather and refined skills are required to make these amazing pairs of shoes. Whole-cut Oxfords may also have broguing on its cap toe but then you can’t wear it in formal events. 

Cap Toe Men’s Oxford Shoes

Cap-toe Oxford shoes are one of the most common men’s Oxfords in the world. It has an additional cap-toe on the shoes. Black Oxfords are widely used for business attire. 

Other than black there are many colors to choose from like brown, tan, cognac, etc. However, for black-tie events, you may want to stick with the plain variety of Oxfords!

Wingtip Men’s Oxford Shoes

Oxford wingtips, or Oxford brogues are not at all formal wear shoes as they are causal shoes. Men’s brogue shoes infused with Oxfords have a classic lace-up look but with an extended cap-toe that features a ‘W’ shape. The broguing can be more or less depending on the style of the shoe. 

Seamless Men’s Oxford Shoes

Many people think seamless and whole-cut Oxford shoes are similar, but they aren’t! Seamless shoes require more leather and are harder to produce since they have no seam, unlike a whole-cut which has a seam at its heel. 

Only a few marvelous shoemakers can make this finely crafted footwear for gentlemen. 

Saddle Men’s Oxford Shoes

Saddle Oxford shoes are more of an American style and they don’t have a cap toe. It is also a two-toned shoe that many people wear widely. It has a different colored leather piece attached from the middle of the shoes which goes down to its heels. 

Ways of Styling Oxford Shoes

There is no doubt in the fact that Oxford shoes for men are formal shoes but with recent innovations in the classic style of Oxford, the line has blurred. It can now be worn in casual, semi-casual, and formal settings. Here are ways to style your Oxford shoes. 

Formal Styling with Oxford Shoes

Cap-toe Oxford shoes are one of the most common and used shoes among men for formal wear. Initially, a black pair of cap-toe Oxfords is all you need for multiple occasions like weddings, offices, funerals, etc.

For black tie events, cap-toe is not a good choice, so go with whole-cut Oxford shoes. If you are dressed in tweeds then men’s chukka boots or derbys should be your choice of footwear. 

Semi-Casual Styling with Oxford Shoes

It is not recommended to wear formal Oxford shoes with jeans but semi-casual Oxfords can be a great companion with jeans. Semi-casual Oxfords include wingtips or brogue Oxfords. You can wear a black brogue or wingtip shoes to your office but if you own different shades like men’s brown Oxford shoes, etc. then you should consider a more casual look with jeans. Or you can wear it if the office environment is not white collar. 

Casual Styling with Oxford shoes

You can wear a saddle Oxford to your casual meetings, as they are unique and not the most formal footwear. You can also invest in semi-brogue Oxford as they go great with jeans, chinos, and trousers. For casual wear, you can also switch colors from black to men’s brown Oxfords!

Wearing Oxfords to casual setups amps up your fashion game, so instead of choosing casual shoes like sneakers, motorcycle boots, men’s zipper boots, etc. go with the Oxfords!

Evening Shoes

Whole-cut, seamless or plain Oxford shoes are one of the most sleek and stylish men’s leather shoes. You can wear your best pair of black Oxford dress shoes to a black-tie event and look absolutely stunning!

Custom Oxford Shoes

Oxford and dress shoes are a great investment for all the gentlemen out there! Every man should own classic plain or cap-toe style Oxford shoes. No matter whether you are looking for classic formal Oxfords like whole-cut ones or the flat style Oxford sneakers men’s footwear, Leather Skin Shop has it all. 

Custom-made shoes have become quite popular as people want footwear that is tailored for them. You can order custom Oxford shoes with the details of your choice. There is a wide collection of formal as well as relaxed Oxford styles which you can select and get them made with your choice of leather or suede materials. Our shoe construction and craftsmanship are amazing as well.

You can shop many different styles here if you want to experiment with your look. You can also get custom boots, or Oxford custom dress shoes from Leather Skin Shop at a much affordable price range!

Shop at Leather Skin Shop for an Exquisite Range of Oxford Shoes!

When it comes to top-quality custom leather shoes, Leather Skin Shop is undeniably the best option. We can customize any type of shoes, from custom loafers to custom moccasins. 

We have an exquisite variety of Oxford shoes on our site. You must visit and select the one that portrays your style. We highly recommend investing in a timeless piece like plain or men’s Oxford shoes with black cap-toe. Or, you can explore and choose a more unique option. 

If you are interested in boots, you can also browse our tactical boots and jodhpur boots collections at Leather Skin Shop.