Men's Black Wingtip Oxford

Black wingtip oxford shoes for men in widths D through EEE, Goodyear welted on a leather sole and cut to your own foot measurements. Full brogue perforation, closed lacing, made after you order.

The width problem, and why this page exists

Almost every dress shoe sold is cut in one width, a D, and everything else is handled by telling you to size up. That advice is wrong and it is worth understanding why, because it is the reason a lot of men have decided their feet are the problem.

Length and width are separate measurements. Sizing up adds length far faster than it adds width, so a wide foot in an oversized shoe gets a little more room across the ball and a great deal too much in front of the toes. The consequences follow predictably: the heel lifts because the shoe is longer than the foot, the vamp creases in the wrong place because the flex point of the shoe no longer sits over the flex point of the foot, and the ball of the foot sits behind the widest part of the last rather than in it.

We cut D, E, EE and EEE, and the width is built into the last before the leather is cut rather than approximated afterward. That is the whole argument for a made to order shoe over a shelf one.

What each fitting means

If you do not know your fitting, measure the circumference of your foot around the widest part of the ball, in inches, over the sock you would wear with the shoe. Send that with your length through contact and we will tell you which fitting to take.

Why the oxford is the hardest pattern to get wide

Closed lacing is what makes this shoe formal and it is also what makes width matter more here than anywhere else in a wardrobe.

On a derby the quarters sit on top of the vamp and open outward, so a wider foot simply pushes the facings further apart and the lacing absorbs it. On an oxford the quarters are stitched beneath the vamp. The facings meet and stop. There is no absorbing anything.

That is why a wide footed man in a shelf oxford ends up with the facings splayed open and the laces straining across a gap, which looks exactly as bad as it sounds. Getting the width right in the last is the only fix, because the pattern gives you nothing afterward.

Black, and what it hides

Black is where poor leather hides. A brown hide shows its grain so flaws are visible, while black dye covers everything, which is exactly why low grade corrected leather is almost always sold in black.

So on a black shoe the thing to check is not the color but the surface. Full grain calf shows fine natural pores and slight irregularity across the vamp. Corrected grain, sanded smooth and sprayed with a pigment coat, looks uniform and slightly plastic, and it cracks along the flex crease rather than folding softly. On a brogue that difference decides whether the strips of leather between the perforations survive.

How these are built

Goodyear welted and hand stitched. A leather welt runs around the upper and insole and the outsole is stitched to that welt rather than glued on, so a cobbler can replace it without touching the upper. Cork fills the cavity between insole and outsole and compresses to your foot across the first month, then holds that shape.

Full grain calf upper, leather sole, stacked leather heel with a rubber top piece. Every pair cut after you order through our made to order service.

Fit and sizing

Laced correctly the facings should sit about a thumb width apart. If they touch, the shoe is too big, and if they splay well past that, the width is too narrow.

A full brogue runs marginally snugger than a plain shoe on the same last, because punched leather does not stretch the way solid leather does. Take that into account rather than assuming a break in period will fix it. Read the men's shoe size guide before ordering.

What to wear a black brogue with

Charcoal, mid gray and navy tailoring, and black pants, which is the one thing brown cannot do. Not black tie, which wants patent or a plain mirror polished cap toe, and not a funeral, where anything other than a plain black shoe gets noticed.

The broguing is the pattern, so keep everything else quiet. Black belt, hardware matched to your watch. Compare the same pattern in navy and mahogany, or see all men's oxford shoes.

Care

Cream collects in the perforations and dries pale, which shows badly against black. Work it in thin and clear the holes with a soft brush before it sets. A wooden matchstick clears anything already dried in.

Black is the one color where a matching cream is genuinely useful rather than risky, since there is only one black and no tonal matching problem. Use it sparingly and only where the surface has actually worn. Brush after each wear, cedar trees between wears, and rest the pair a day between outings.

What to expect when you order

Every pair is cut and welted after you order. Production is 10 to 14 days, then shipping.

Questions we get asked

Do you make wide fitting dress shoes?
Yes. D, E, EE and EEE, with the width built into the last before the leather is cut rather than approximated by sizing up.

Should I size up for a wide foot?
No. Length and width are separate measurements, and sizing up adds length much faster than width. You end up with heel slip and creasing in the wrong place. Take the correct fitting instead.

How do I measure my width?
Measure the circumference of your foot around the widest part of the ball, in inches, over the sock you would wear. Send that with your length and we will confirm the fitting.

Why is width more important on an oxford than a derby?
Closed lacing. On a derby the quarters open outward and the lacing absorbs a wider foot. On an oxford the facings meet and stop, so there is no adjustment available once the shoe is made.

How should an oxford fit?
Snug across the instep with the facings about a thumb width apart when laced. Touching means too big. Splayed well open means too narrow.

How can I tell full grain from corrected leather on a black shoe?
Look at the surface rather than the color. Full grain shows fine natural pores and slight irregularity. Corrected grain looks uniform and plastic and cracks along the flex line.

Are black brogues formal enough for a funeral?
No. A funeral wants a plain polished black shoe. Broguing reads as decoration and gets noticed.

Can these be resoled?
Yes, repeatedly. Goodyear welted construction means the sole is stitched to a welt rather than glued to the upper.