Derby shoe

A derby (, ; also called gibson ) is a style of boot or shoe characterized by quarters, with shoelace eyelets, that are sewn on top of the vamp. This construction method, also known as "open lacing", contrasts with that of the Oxford shoe.



In American English the derby shoe may be referred to as a 'blucher', although technically the blucher is a different design of shoe where only eyelet tabs (not larger quarters) are sewn onto a single-piece vamp.

In modern colloquial English the derby shoe may be referred to as 'bucks' when the upper is made of buckskin. "White bucks", or light-colored suede or buckskin (or nubuck) derby shoes, usually with a red sole, were long popular among the students and graduates of Ivy League colleges. By translation, these shoes also became associated with elite law firms in cities of the Eastern United States, especially New York and Boston, giving rise to the name "white-shoe firm" used to describe these prestigious legal institutions.

The derby became a popular sporting and hunting boot in the 1850s. By the turn of the 20th century the derby had become appropriate for wear in town.