In Search of an Oxford of a Certain Size

oxford colorful oxfords blueoxfords Ferragamo

Shoes they come and shoes they go, but once in a while you want something that stands out.

There will always be the perfect black pump, the brown or black tall boot and the go-to flats with your very own toe impressions (they’re that go-to). But this fall women are ditching the usual suspects and perusing their favorite shoe hot spots for the shoe of the moment, the oxford.

Worn with pencil skirts, skinny jeans or flat front men’s trousers, this versatile shoe puts the Kate with the Hepburn and the Amelia with the Earhart.

Derived from the Scottish and Gaelic “brogues,” (or wingtips in the U.S.), oxford shoes have risen in rank this season from being a traditional men’s shoe to a stylish women’s power piece, heeled and ready for action. And this trend doesn’t seem to have an end in sight, with Spring 2010 models walking down the runways clad in them for Isaac Mizrahi, Rachel Comey, Phillip Lim and Derek Lam.

A trend that transcends more than one season? Yes!

After perusing my favorite shoe haunts at Etsy, I found what I wanted, and lots of it (see images above)…if only I were a size 7 instead of a 9! Are big-footed women a turn of the century phenomenon?

The only other oxfords I found that were somewhat sustainable are the Melissa oxford shoe, available in all colors of the rainbow. Melissa’s latest collaboration with famed Brazilian designer, Alexandre Herchcovitch, has produced these must-have classic rubber brogues that will keep heads turning and you skipping away in glee.

Images: milanvintage, small earth vintage, Maiden rapture vintage

Amy DuFault

Amy DuFault is a conscious lifestyle writer, consultant and fashion instigator. She resides in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.