History of the Oxford

The history of the Oxford begins in Scotland and Ireland, where they are occasionally called Balmorals after Balmoral Castle. Today’s Oxford traces back to the early 1800’s and is derived from the Oxonian, a half-boot with side slits that gained popularity at Oxford University.

Characterised by shoe lace eyelet tabs attached under the vamp, known as closed lacing, the Oxford style was predominantly a formal shoe made of leather. The evolution of the Oxford has seen it become adaptable, worn with casual wear and made from suedes.

Key Oxford styles include plain-toe, toe-cap, wingtip or whole cut and depending on the dress code or personal style the options are vast. In the Barker Spring / Summer 2020 collection we’d recommend the below Oxford styles from the Professional collection.

For more Barker Oxford styles explore the Country, Creative and BarkerTech collections.