The Oxford

The Oxford is regarded as a characteristically English shoe. Shoes of thisd type were being made in England as early as 1830,but first came into fashion around 1880,and have been widely known as Oxfords ever since. The Oxford is by far the most elegant English men's shoe and is to be recognized by its closed lacing. The laces are threaded through five pairs of eyelets and fasten up the shoe so perfectly that only the upper edge of the tongue can be seen. This type of shoe looks particularly good on narrow feet with a low instep.

The Loafer

The Loafer is a kind of Slipper. It is known as the "slipper" because all you have to do is slip your foot into it. The vamp,the quarters,and the tongue are made of a single piece of leather,and it has no laces or buckles.
However,while the sole of the moccasin is made of very thin,flexible leather,the slipper is similar in construction to the classic shoe styles. The common decorative elements used on slippers include hand-stitched aprons and tassels attached to the tongue.

The Derby

The Derby is a shoe with open lacing much wom in continental Europe Shoes with lacing of this kind are also known as "Bluchers" after thePrussian field marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher, Duke ofWahlstadt(1742-1819),who joined forces with Wellington to defeat Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and ordered laced shoes of this type to be made for his soldiers
The Derby offers pure comfort to shoe-lovers who have a wide foot or an unusually high instep. At the same time, the decorations soften the character of the shoc, which looks particularly robust on account of its top searns (on lock-stitched versions) and the built-up sole. The open lacing means that it is easier to slip into this shoc than an Oxford, and the distance between the two quarters is casier to adjust. Derbys are available in many different styles: plain, semi-brogue, and full-brogue.

The Monk

The Monk (so called because it is reminiscent of the sandals worn by monks) is an independent style of shoe.It consists of a vamp and quarters, like the Oxford and the Derby.
But differs from them markedly in that the two quarters are fastened together with a distinctive buckle. The buckle is fastened to one of the quarters, while the other ends in a leather strap, which is threaded through the buckle and used to adjust the distance between the quarters across theinstep. Most Monks have an undivided smooth vamp on which the buckle and the strap stand out to full effect. The buckles themselves vary gready, and can be silver or golden, square or round, and have smooth or patterned surfaces. The advantage of the Monk is the simplicity of its bucklc fastening. This contrasts with the Derby, for example, with its complicated lacing, which leaves the ends of the laces lying on the shoc.

Boots

Our feer need greater protection in cold winters. This is provided by boots, principally by the quarters, which extend 2-4 inches [5-10 cm] above the ankle. Boots do not just cover the foot but also the lower parts of the leg. Both the Oxford and the Derby are available as boots in plain, semi-brogue, and full-brogue styles
The same materials and techniques are used as when making shoes.The quarters can be fastened using eyelets, eyes,or buttons. As the pants cover the quarters almost complerely, boots can be matched with the same outfits as shoes. However, they should not be worn on special occasions, for which classic shoes should be reserved.