[DesertCeltic]

I am curious when and under what circumstances most wear ghillie brogues? Only while piping and at formal events or do some wear them as regular attire anytime they wear a kilt.

[piperdbh]

I wear them when I'm 'piping, and have them worn them to a few Games, but won't anymore.

[JSFMACLJR]

I don't wear them at all.

[turpin]

Never have, never plan to. If I get formal shoes they will likely be Glenfinnans.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I have two pair of ghillie brogues and only wear them (a) outdoors and (b) under duress. Low cut oxfords are, in my opinion, not only more comfortable but also more appropriate footwear.

[bchunter]

I used to wear mine when dressed more formally, but do less so these days. I wore them to the games once, never again. Not even to church any more.

[ThistleDown]

Hmmm, I suspect peer pressure comes to play in these things and perhaps too often. But, since you asked, I have worn ghillie brogues most of my adult life. There must have been whole years when I didn't wear them, but I'm not sure which those would be. Mostly, from school days onwards, I've worn a brogue or low boot in one form or another and somewhere alone the way I was introduced to those lace-up ghillies. If they are worn properly they are amazingly comfortable, they are easily stuffed with newspaper to dry them out over night and they weigh nothing at all.

But they really are not the most practical footwear for rough walking, are far from elegant for formal occasions and anywhere in the middle you will probably find a better shoe in most shoe shops. I still have a pair on trees, polished and ready to go. Maybe last year was one of those years I didn't wear them at all.

[Jock Scot]

They are not for me.

[Ancienne Alliance]

I don't wear them simply because the aren't my style. Some are lovely though.

On formal occasion I prefer buckle shoes + Doublet rather than the ghillie brogues + PC look.


Best,

Robert

[OC Richard]

Being a piper, ghillies are required in every Pipe Band (except those few who still wear spats), and expected of solo pipers as well.

Since I bought my first pair of ghillies c1977 they've been the only thing I've ever worn with kilts, except for the buckled brogues that I wear whenever I'm wearing tartan hose.

BTW those first ghillies, made by Keltic, where just about the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned, and I wore them on a regular basis up through the mid-1990's, when the tops finally began to look dodgy. I had had them re-soled six or seven times.

But finally in the 90's I had to retire those ghillies and switch to my "new" pair, another pair of Keltics, which I bought in the 1980's, which I still wear.

From 1977 to 2010 on two pair of ghillies! Pretty good.