Shoes are unique clothing apparel. Like typical shirts or pants, shoes protect the body part that they cover. They also make your outfit look good. However, footwear, whether they be men’s sneakers or women’s Derby shoes, go beyond protection and appearance. They are also functional, and how they perform is what sets them apart from tops and bottoms. The mandatory functional aspect of tops and bottoms is allowing movement.
What’s the point of wearing a shirt whose buttons will burst the moment you wear the shirt? A pair of pants or shorts that may rip when you try to sit down are not a good choice. As long as your top and bottoms don’t restrict your movements, you’re good to go. Clothing companies may add some pockets as a bonus, but that’s pretty much all the perks you get. Shoes, however, are a different story, and Derby shoes epitomize that story.
Strength and Durability
When you think of the strength and durability of clothes, they’re mostly limited to tear resistance. Shoes go beyond those. Shoes and men ankle socks for sale often go beyond those not only should shoes not tear, but they should also carry more than your bodyweight and kilometres of foot travel. Take men’s and women’s Derby shoes, for example. These shoes are traditionally composed of leather, have dark neutral colors like shades of black and brown, and have a sleek and slim profile.
These traits make them good dress shoes. However, Derby shoes also have an open-laced design. The eyelet tabs are also stitched on top of the vamp. Not only are these designs more suitable for someone with bigger feet, but they also allow for more movement. These traits are in stark contrast to the Oxford, which has a closed-lace design and eyelet tabs under the vamp.
Moreover, Derby shoes have a lower instep. These traits made Derby shoes popular during the 19th century for casual or sports (and by sport, think of vigorous ones like hunting) wear. Thus, since more people wanted to wear Derby shoes for everyday or sports use, they had to be strong and durable to handle the physical stress.
Creativity and Versatility
Today, men’s and women’s Derby shoes come in different shapes and sizes. Since traditional derbies have so many similarities with Oxfords, many people still associate derbies with formal wear. Over the years, shoemakers have looked into ways to dress down derbies so people can wear them in more casual occasions.
Gone are the days when Derby shoes only came with dark or glossy shades of brown and black. Today, you can commonly find derbies that come in matte, navy blue, or white. It’s even more fun with women’s Derby shoes. You can find ones that come in rose gold, pink, and peach. Some don’t even come with solid colours. You can find patterns like polka dots and leopard, or extra designs glitter and sidecuts.
Leather is no longer the exclusive material for derbies. Suede is becoming more common, especially for more casual occasions.
How to Wear Them
How you wear your derbies will depend on the occasion and the kind of derbies you have. For formal occasions like a business meeting, you can never go wrong with leather derbies. The colour will depend on the colour of your outfit. Black will always be a classic. For a more stylish look, you can opt for derbies with a brogue.
Although you can still wear leather derbies for less formal occasions, you have more options with the aesthetics. Suede women’s Derby shoes go great with rolled-up pants, like jeans or slacks, or high ankle pants.
The combination of strength, durability, creativity, and versatility make Derby shoes a great useful addition to your wardrobe. With the right pair, you can look sleek in informal settings or fun-loving in casual ones.