Derbies. Bluchers. Gibsons.
These open-laced shoes have many names, and even more variations.
Trying to find the right derby shoes for your lifestyle or personal look can be a daunting rabbit hole. Even more, if you’re a generally formal dresser, you may have already written off these moderately casual dress shoes as not chic enough.
Since there are so many variations, I assure you there’s a derby variation out there for most guys.
Read on to see our five best derbies. You’ll be surprised to see just how wide-ranging this category of shoe can be.
Table of Contents
How Did I Come Up With My List?
I must’ve worn about a hundred derby shoes in my life, the most important ones being the several I researched and tried on in the past few weeks for this round-up.
By research, I mean I scoured the internet and shoe stores, and talked to colleagues and shoe experts about their experiences with these and other models.
I spent hours watching YouTube reviews to make sure they matched my experience with certain designs. And if they didn’t, I made sure to figure out why. Not all feet are made alike, after all.
In doing so, I found the most effective in each respective category below, starting with the overall best.
5 Types of Derby Shoes
A derby shoe is a shoe with open lacing, meaning the eyelet stays and quarters are sewn over the vamp. Bluchers are a type of Derby in which only the stays are attached to the vamp, without the quarters. These days, both are used interchangeably.
Since any shoe with open lacing falls into these categories, there are several subcategories.
Here are some of the most common:
- Cap-toe derbies have horizontal stitching over the toe.
- Plain-toe derbies have nothing stitched over the toe.
- Brogue derbies are adorned with decorative perforations throughout.
- Wingtip derbies feature a decorative W-shaped piece of leather on top of the upper.
- Whole-cut derbies are made with one piece of leather for a dressier look. If going by the original strict definitions, whole-cuts are technically bluchers since they don’t have quarters.
5 Best Derbies for Men
Best Overall: Beckett Simonon Irvine Derby
Since this is Beckett Simonon, the Irvines offer the brand’s famed high value proposition, flaunting impressive construction and materials at prices below the market standard. I’ve raved about that on several occasions, I’ll do it again here, but let me first focus on the brilliant design.
The Irvine Derbies are one of the most diplomatic, broadly-appealing bluchers I’ve seen.
For traditionalists who like the more relaxed look of a traditional derby, the toes are roomy and almond-shaped. And, though the eyestays aren’t as conventionally robust, they sit prominently over the vamp ensuring there’s still topography there.
Meanwhile, the slim taper and overall minimal look makes these shoes a touch dressier, without going anywhere near formal slipper territory.
Overall, the Irvines use the template of the blucher, remixed with some formality, resulting in an almost tailored Chukka dress shoe of sorts. It’s both stylish and inoffensive to most personal styles.
And yes, they’re made of full-grain leather, are handcrafted, and are equipped with tons of comfort technology—one of my favorite things about Simonon footwear. The steel shank keeps you stable, but the rubber heel cap, Vachetta leather lining, and conforming footbeds work together making the Irvines easy to walk in right out of the box.
The leather experts who founded Beckett Simonon are clever, having sourced artisans from their years in the industry and employing a made-to-order model to keep prices down.
What I Like
- The design is a combination of traditional derby elements and minimalism, resulting in a shoe that can be worn with a range of personal styles and within a range of dress codes.
- Thanks to Beckett Simonon cutting all the middle-men, the Irvine is made with full-grain leather, features a long-lastingly sturdy yet comfortable build with a high level of hand craftsmanship, all at a fraction of the cost it would be at a traditional retailer.
- I know Goodyear welted shoes are easier to resole, but Beckett Simonon shoes, with their Blake-stitched build, are still resoleable and have a far shorter break-in time.
What I Don’t Like
- As always, the made-to-order model may result in a long waiting period between the time you order your shoes and the time they arrive at your house.
What Do Other Reviewers Say?
Beckett Simonon shoes generally tend to have high overall ratings. I was still particularly impressed with the Irvines, their perfect score on the Simonon website, and the seemingly flawless reputation throughout the internet and beyond.
It turns out that it’s likely because of the fit.
A lot of Simonon dress shoes, like their Deans which I love, are slim and not always easy to break in for wide-footed gents. The Irvines, meanwhile, provide more interior volume thanks to the moderate taper and almond-shaped toe.
The Verdict
The Beckett Simonon Irvines are built with everything we expect from the quality-and-value-focused brand: Buttery full-grain leather that will patinate beautifully, artisan-level construction which includes hand-cutting and hand-sanding, and a function factor that includes a stable shank and comfort technology.
Most importantly is how these shoes manage to be both neutrally versatile yet distinct. The minimal approach creates a shoe that can get a lot of mileage, style-wise and construction-wise.
And with Beckett Simonon’s business model, they’ve famously lifted barriers formerly placed around footwear at this level. You just pay a little more via the wait times.
The full-grain leather Beckett Simonon Irvines mix a slightly casual structure with a slightly dressy minimalism, making them quietly innovative crowd pleasers. In addition to being able to go with most outfits, they’re handcrafted for comfort and longevity.
Best Wingtip: Velasca Spazzacamin
The Velasca Spazzamacins are what I like to call nice, reliable party shoes. And isn’t that what you want from a pair of wingtip derbies?
These guys are fully brogued, with not a single edge left unperforated including the decorative medallions on the toes. There are zero raw finishes, and the eyelets are even fortified with subtle and tonal rings.
The Spazzamacins would look robust with a pair of jeans and downright dandy with a patterned suit. That Vibram rubber outsole can help you keep steady on uneven terrain. They absorb shock so that you can stay on the dance floor as long as you want during a wedding reception.
These shoes aren’t just fun costume pieces though. One thing I appreciate is the use of calfskin leather and the lack of extra texturing outside of the perforations and stitching. The calf leather’s tight grain provides a smooth background for the details throughout.
They’re still lively shoes, but the high-quality materials and Blake-stitched construction cinches the fact they’re true premiums.
What I Like
- The full broguing provides a lot of fun character, all of which is grounded in high-end leather construction.
- Equipped with rubber outsoles, this shoe is strong and comfortable, providing an almost athletic level of bounce and shock absorption.
- Velasca offers free shipping for anything over $100 to the US, Canada, and even Norway and Switzerland. Even more, they ship pretty quickly, often delivering in three to five business days.
What I Don’t Like
- The all-over broguing adds a lot of personality, but also makes it more casual and less versatile. I wonder if I’d be able to wear this shoe to more formal situations if the medallion was omitted.
What Do Other Reviewers Say?
These shoes get a lot of love for their charmingly detailed look.
When it comes to function, one reviewer raves about how he ran in the rain in these shoes with absolutely no slippage thanks to the rubber outsoles.
Another praises the brand for their wide range of sizes, going all the way down to a men’’s size 5.
The Verdict
The Velasca Spazzamacins are classic wingtips, built with quality materials and care. The calfskin leather has a considerable strength to weight ratio, as well a smooth surface to complement the detailed perforations throughout the shoe.
They’re also a great option if you’re looking for some comfortable rubber-soled dress shoes. The Spazzamacins are shock absorbing and effectively flexible.
The Velasca Spazzacamins are classic wingtips, built with quality materials and care. The calfskin leather has a considerable strength-to-weight ratio, as well a smooth surface to complement the detailed perforations throughout the shoe.
Best Budget: Thursday Statesman
Count on the boot experts at Thursday to infuse their derby with a brawny design sensibility. Strong features like six whole pairs of metal-finished eyelets per shoe, wide toes, and profile-visible outsole lugs, give the Statesmen the unique ability to pair with workwear.
That’s right, you can wear these shoes with chinos and a blazer, or you can wear them with workpants and a utility shirt.
Since this is Thursday, they’re as ruggedly built as they look.
Their Rugged & Resilient leather is matte but supple, like a workboot, sourced from specific cattle hides so that it can handle hard wear without constant upkeep.
Meanwhile, the storm-welt construction is basically just a wider Goodyear-welted construction in order to fully seal the area between the midsole and outsole.
Thursday Boots’ initial focus was to build stylish urban boots with work-boot-like solidity. This philosophy successfully makes its way into their non-boots, including these Statesman.
The best part? They’re way more comfortable than work boots.
Once broken in, the cork insoles will conform to your feet (they’re also antimicrobial), while the leather interiors become more pliant. Finally, your foot is protected by the shock-absorbing qualities of the soles.
What I Like
- As a more rugged take on the classic derby, the Statesman can uniquely be styled like a dress shoe and like a work boot.
- The Rugged & Resilient leather can really handle a beating and is built to require less maintenance than typical leather.
- The leather interiors, shock absorbing insoles, and antimicrobial cork midsoles provide long-lasting, personalized comfort, and odor-resistance.
What I Don’t Like
- While the Statesman will eventually be perfectly comfortable, the tough leather and storm-welting will definitely make you work for it with a substantial break-in period.
What Do Other Reviewers Say?
Reviewers praise Thursday for infusing this shoe with utilitarian aspects, both functionally and aesthetically.
Like so many of Thursday’s strong yet dressy shoes, the Statesmen are perfect work shoes for guys who work in industries that require office time and onsite hard-hate time—operations for example.
Many happy reviewers are professionals who are simply on their feet all day.
The Verdict
By filling the fully-welted Irvines to the brim with tough features, Thursday has effectively made it one of the most practical Derby shoes on the market. Sure, the visible lugs make them a bit too workwear-looking, but they’d still look perfect with chinos, a tie, and a blazer.
If you’re looking for derbies that can handle some wear and tear, the Irvines are for you.
The Thursday Statesmen are especially rugged derbies, thanks to their durable and matte leather surface, as well as their grippy and athletic rubber outsoles. They’re comfortable and dependably enduring, making them a middle ground between a work shoe and dress shoe.
Best Suede: Allen Edmonds Discovery Suede Derby
Another creative visual hybrid, the Discovery Suede Derbies from Allen Edmonds straddle the middle ground between casual and dressy in a similar way to the Thursday Statesmen. They offer a different vibe though, one that’s reminiscent of adventures on the trails.
The eyelet stays are closer to the body, so as far as the upper goes, it’s a pretty refined silhouette. It’s the veritable feast of textures throughout the body that give it that Indiana Jones look.
Handsomely napped, the soft yet textured suede uppers are accented with leather backs and a concrete-like composition on the rubber outsoles. These shoes are definitely made to pair with a safari shirt.
As an American heritage brand, Allen Edmonds managed to hold on to the handcrafted quality that so many comparable shoemakers compromised to compete.
That being the case, these Discovery Derbies are bench welted all around, ensuring that those lightweight and grippy rubber outsoles stay secure as you kick around. These are truly stable shoes.
What I Like
- Right out of the box, the premium quality of the suede is apparent from the soft musky aroma to the delicate handfeel and overall sturdiness.
- Its 360-degree bench welt construction makes it easily resoleable while offering long-lasting durability and stability.
- The outdoorsy style is a unique take on the classic derby.
What I Don’t Like
- As with any strong and fully welted shoe, these derbies require a long break-in period.
What Do Other Reviewers Say?
Reviewers are pleased with this new, trail-ready rendition of derby shoes. A few even mention that it gives outdoorsy types, even crunchy types, the opportunity to feel dressed up.
As always, Allen Edmonds gets a lot of praise for their excellent suede and leather.
Unlike some of their dressier models, the Discovery Derbies have a roomier fit, so reviewers highly recommend these shoes to those with wider feet.
The Verdict
The Allen Edmonds Discovery Shoes are slick-silhouetted Derbies that sport a lot of fun textures. They have a gentleman-explorer aesthetic, perfect for blazer guys, straw stetson hat guys, and everyone in between.
And naturally, they’re well-built, Goodyear-welted, with premium suede uppers.
With an adventurous and outdoorsy look, the Allen Edmonds Discovery Derbies are built with beautiful suede, accented with leather and textured rubber outsoles. Those very outsoles are prominently lugged providing both bounce and grip.
Best Upgrade: Carmina Cordovan Blucher
You’ll probably never see derbies as chic as the Carmina Cordovan Bluchers. As their name suggests, they’re quarterless and minimal, with a sharp and formal taper, though the tips remain traditionally rounded.
Meanwhile, the Goodyear-welted outsoles, storm-welted with beautiful silver soles and purple calf lining, still extend pretty far outside of the uppers’ aerial silhouettes. They’re as sleek as derbies can get, but they’re still unstuffy.
Details like the dark trim around the collar that travels into the inner eyelet stays further refine the classy aesthetic.
Since Carmina is made up of fourth-generation Mallorcan master craftsmen, all of these labored-over details aren’t a surprise. Furthermore, they employ shell cordovan leather which is exceptionally rich, naturally lustrous, and incredibly strong and waterproof. Suffice to say, sourcing the hides for this leather is a meticulous process.
What I Like
- These shoes are true luxury pieces of art, built by artisans in Mallorca with every detail executed with precision, from the use of silver soles and purple calf lining for a perfect storm-welt, to the exquisitely burnished shell cordovan leather.
- The slight taper in the middle makes the shoes look extra dapper without compromising the classic derby adaptability.
- The Goodyear-welted construction ensures a long life and the ability to easily resole.
What I Don’t Like
- These shoes have a long and possibly difficult break-in period.
What Do Other Reviewers Say?
Reviewers absolutely love the subtly rounded toe because it makes the shoes more breathable and less binding even when you first wear them.
Unfortunately, many also mention that they were pretty uncomfortable at first, so these bluchers will definitely need breaking in. This isn’t a surprise given how tough shell cordovan is. Combine that with a brawny Goodyear-welt construction, and you’re looking at a good two weeks of break-in exercises before you can really wear them out.
Another thing that isn’t a surprise is how much reviewers admire the high-class design and the topnotch quality of the leather.
The Verdict
The Carmina Cordovan Bluchers are classy and stately derby shoes, thanks to their minimal single-cut construction. They’re made from some of the best leather nature has to offer, and are built with a high-level of hand craftsmanship.
They’ll definitely last you forever, though they’re also definitely investment pieces. If you can shell out the ~$800 price tag, these can be the last and only derbies you’ll ever need.
The Carmina Cordovan Bluchers are elegantly minimal with just a few refined details, exemplifying derby shoes at their most formal. Hand-made by artisans in Mallorca, painstakingly sourced hides are used to create these shoes’ exceptionally rich and radiant shell cordovan leather.
The Derby Winner
Which derby, or derbies, is right for you fully depends on your priorities and lifestyle.
The Beckett Simonon Irvines are our top pick because of their exceptional construction and clean-cut versatility. You do get that with the Carmina Bluchers too, but at a much higher level, build-wise, material-wise, and, of course, on the price front as well.
The full-grain leather Beckett Simonon Irvines mix a slightly casual structure with a slightly dressy minimalism, making them quietly innovative crowd pleasers. In addition to being able to go with most outfits, they’re handcrafted for comfort and longevity.
Love a lot of details? The Velasca Spazzacamins are classic, fully-brogued wingtips, while the Allen Edmonds Discovery Derbies feature charming textures throughout, not least of which come from its napped suede construction.
With an adventurous and outdoorsy look, the Allen Edmonds Discovery Derbies are built with beautiful suede, accented with leather and textured rubber outsoles. Those very outsoles are prominently lugged providing both bounce and grip.
And you don’t have to spend a fortune for a good pair of derby shoes. Our budget pick, the Thursday Statesman, injects utilitarian boot elements into a dress shoe template resulting in an adaptable shoe for under $200.
FAQs
Do derby shoes go with a suit?
Yes, more minimal derby shoes, non-quartered bluchers for example, go best with suits.
Can a groom wear derby shoes?
Yes. If the wedding is fairly casual, a groom can wear derby shoes. Even if it’s more on the dressy side, minimal, tapered bluchers are perfectly appropriate.
What is the purpose of derby shoes?
Derby shoes are a relaxed alternative to Oxfords. The open lacing system also makes them more comfortable for people with wider feet.
Why are they called derby shoes?
A common theory is that the 14th Earl of Derby had wide feet and had the open-laced system developed especially for his boots.
Join the Discussion