The oxford is the most formal shoe in everyday men’s wardrobes and it gets that status from its closed lacing construction which creates a cleaner and more elegant line than the open lacing of a derby. This formality is the oxford’s great strength and its main limitation. It looks impeccable with a suit and genuinely excellent with smart pants and a blazer. It works less naturally with casual outfits where its formality creates a visible mismatch that’s hard to ignore. A plain cap toe oxford in black is the shoe for your most formal situations and it’s worth having one in good quality leather for exactly those occasions. A slightly more relaxed oxford in dark brown or burgundy with minimal detailing works for smarter business situations and formal casual occasions where you want to look properly dressed without the stiffness of a full formal look.