Saddle Oxfords are lace up shoes that usually feature a plain toe box with a saddle-shaped leather overlay around the instep. This overlay often has a contrasting color or a different leather type and is decorated with perforations. Now, Saddle Oxfords are a designed for style rather than function, but the initial intention of the saddle was to provide reinforced support in activities like tennis or golf back in the days before invention of the athletic shoe.