the Oxford

[ leather oxford style shoes with rubber sole, made by Joseph Box Co. in London, 1886 c/o http://flickr.com/photos/hkoslov ]

Its claim to fame was influenced by the prissy businessman that knew how to dress.
"To wear a patent leather or a brown suede?", he might have asked.

Here I present a purchase made in Late Winter/Early Spring 2007! A good look, as I apparently forsaw the coming of the "Oxford" for Fall.


Here, you might ask what an "oxford" exactly is. It can loosely be defined as:
"An Oxford shoe is a style of leather shoe with enclosed lacing. Oxford shoes are traditionally constructed of heavy leather and were historically rather plain. The shoes originally appeared in Scotland and Ireland, where they are occasionally called Balmorals. The design of the shoe is often plain, but may include some small ornamentation or perforations. The Balmoral, or true Oxford, has closed lacing, while the "Blucher" or "Derby" shoe (often referred to as a variety of Oxford) features open lacing.

Contemporary Oxford shoes may be constructed in many different styles bearing little resemblance to historical Oxford shoes. Contemporary Oxfords may be constructed of tanned leather, suede leather, or even synthetic materials. Most designs could be classified as dress shoes or dress casual. Most modern Oxfords have a piece of leather stitched over the toe section and are sometimes called cap-toe Oxfords or Oxford caps."

My infatuation with this style of shoe (both old and new) is going a tad haywire as flats, booties and peep toes continue to reappear anywhere and everywhere. See below for my wishlist...





But for now this girl can only dream.