In the 17th century, men’s footwear was limited till boots. Tightly fitted with buttons instead of laces, the boots were the day’s shoe vogue. By the end of the century, men were tired of this high-heeled footwear and thus, came the Balmoral shoes.
They first appeared in Scotland and Ireland and got the name “Balmoral” after Balmoral castle. Soon, these low-heeled shoes were popularized by Oxford University students and eventually, they came to be known as Oxford shoes. The inventor, however, is still a mystery.
What makes the Oxford Shoe truly unique is the closed lacing system. This distinguishes the Oxford Shoe from a Chelsea boot or Monk Strap, which are slip-on and Derby Shoe, which has the open lace system. Other defining characteristics of Oxford Shoe are that they are low-heeled and have exposed ankle.
Essentially, Oxford Shoes are worn in formal occasions. So, if you have any formal event coming up, you might consider Oxford Shoes to go with your attire.
