Both oxford and derby are appropriate for wearing at formal meetings and are considered elegant. Then what is the difference between the two?
An Oxford is a lace-up shoe where the eyelet facings are stitched underneath the vamp (front section of the shoe). This style of shoe is sometimes called a closed front.
A Derby (also often referred to as a Gibson) is a lace-up shoe where the eyelet facings are stitched on top of the vamp (front section of the shoe). This style of shoe is sometimes called an open front.
The term Oxford is normally used when the shoe has a plain toe cap. However, the straight toecap and other parts of the shoes can be decorated with some punching – this is known as a ‘semi-brogue’ or ‘London brogue’. The brogue shoes are perfect to be worn at casual evenings whereas the cap toe are best suited for formal meetings. A derby can also be worn to formal evenings but oxfords remain the first choice world over for conservative business meetings.