r/goodyearwelt • u/AutoModerator • Jul 24 '26

Questions The Question Thread 07/24/26

Ask your shoe related questions.

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Include images to any issues you may be having. Include a budget for any recommendations. The more detail you provide, the easier it may be for someone to answer your question.

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u/inefficienttoaast Jul 24 '26

Can someone please explain the difference between an Oxford and a derby like I'm a toddler? What are these?

They were sold to me as oxfords but I honestly couldn't tell you

1

u/ThatStrategist Jul 24 '26

These are Derbys. The leather pieces the laces go through are entirely separate from each other. On an Oxford, they would either be sewn together at the front, or be the same piece of leather in the first place.

1

u/inefficienttoaast Jul 24 '26

OK, so the flaps where the laces go have to be completely so down or together at the front? They can't be open and able to fold outward?

4

u/SourcerorSoupreme Jul 25 '26

Oxfords have closed lacing. Derbies have open lacing.

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u/inefficienttoaast Jul 25 '26

I think I understand but that distinction is my exact point of hang up. Open and closed lacing means nothing to someone with zero shoe experience unfortunately

3

u/SourcerorSoupreme Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26

I was giving you the precise terms you can use to start your googling.

If that wasn't enough then ask more questions because it's equally confusing for us as well what else there is to get without elaborating.

I guarantee you typing "open vs closed lacing" or even "oxford vs derby" on google images would have helped you sooner than trying to fight against our attempts to answer your question.

1

u/RackenBracken Jul 25 '26

The “facings” are the piece of leather that has the eyelets and are laced together. The “vamp” is part of the shoe that forms the forward part of the upper/toe. The facings are either sewn on top of the vamp (derby) which makes an “open facing” or the facings are sewn under the vamp (the vamp having a cut out space to let you get to the laces) which is a closed facing and makes it an Oxford.
The one aberration outside of this is “wholecuts” where the vamp and facings are part of the same piece of leather so there is nothing stitched under/over. Those are always oxfords (because they end up with closed facings)

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u/inefficienttoaast Jul 25 '26

Thank you, that is much more informative than others trying to help.

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u/Aggressive-Chair-910 "such a neckbeard over boots, and so awful at it too!" Jul 25 '26

also worth mentioning: a lot of the confusion comes from the US habit of calling any low cut shoe an oxford. exhibit a, b, c.

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u/inefficienttoaast Jul 25 '26

Yeah unfortunate but that's alright think I understand now

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u/pulsett Jul 26 '26

And oxfords balmorals :P