Best brogues for the best price?

[troxel87]

Who (in your opinion) has the best ghillie brogues for the best price? I'm building up my more dressy ensemble, and need a decent pair that won't break the bank.

Suggestions?

[artificer]

Are you dead set on Ghillies? A good pair of full brogues (wingtips) will give you a better value, in that you can wear them apart from Kilt related activities.

Florsheim makes a decent pair for around $100, and you can get an ASTOUNDING pair from Allen Edmonds for ~$275 which will likely last you 20+ yrs.

[troxel87]

Well, here goes the show of my ignorance: I didn't know there were "full" brogues that were different from ghillies.

I have a few pair of other dress shoes in black, but none of them would really look right with a kilt. They're mostly very contemporary styles that I just don't think would match well.

But in answer to your question - no, I'm not dead set on *anything* in particular, just what would look best for more semi-/formal occasions; I honestly thought that ghillie brogues were the only things that were really acceptable for more black tie affairs...

[Whidbey78]

I do okay with a very simple pair of oxfords. They have versatility and range. I don't think they look out of place, even among ghille brogues. They are so understated that nobody ever notices them in a good or bad way, and they work with a suit for those rare times I decide to not go kilted. I like not needing another pair of shoes just because I put on p@nt$.

I bought a pair of Ghillators from Sport Kilt(by accident I swear...I was in a hurry to get to work and clicked the wrong pic and didn't catch it until they showed up on my doorstep). All I can say is if you like like Crocs...you'll still hate the stupid things! The only good thing is that they are dishwasher safe, but I won't wear them so they never get dirty. I only still have them because I kept forgetting to send them back until it was too late.

[JerseyLawyer]

Well, here goes the show of my ignorance: I didn't know there were "full" brogues that were different from ghillies.

A brogue is a shoe that has decorative punching around either the toe, or the entire shoe. A full brogue is what we call a wingtip, generally. A half- or semi-brogue is a captoe with punching around the seam.

The Florsheim Imperial Kenmoor is a nice, dressy shoe that would be appropriate for what you seem to be looking for.



In the pebbled calf - either black or brown - it would be a classic "country" shoe. Note the heavy sole, the pebbled texture, etc. Although I've still worn a pair just like that for everyday business attire with a suit, the smoother leather is dressier.

Generally, in shoes, the thinner the sole, and the less decorated the shoe, the more formal the shoe is. So, a pair of highly polished, plain black leather shoes is suitable with a tuxedo, while something like this is dressy, but less formal. A leather sole, like this, is generally more dressy than anything with a rubber sole.

That's longer than I intended to go on about this, and there is still more I could say, but there you go.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I honestly thought that ghillie brogues were the only things that were really acceptable for more black tie affairs...

Generally speaking, at least as far as Highland attire is concerned, there are two basic types of shoe, indoor shoes and outdoor shoes.

Outdoor shoes have thick soles, are made of tough leather, and look their best when worn clumping around out in the field, or marching in a parade. The ghillie brogues commercially available fall into this category, as do really heavy wingtip oxfords.

Indoor shoes are just that, lighter weight shoes that are at home on carpeted surfaces (or the dance floor), and wouldn't last an hour hiking through gorse and bracken in pursuit of stag or hare.

Now it may be possible to obtain "dress" ghillie brogues, although as far as I know none are commercially available. This means that the only option is the awfully expensive route of having them custom made-- expect to lash out something the the vicinity of $1000 for proper pair of dress ghillie brogues.

Because of the cost, and a certain "lack of knowledge", many gentlemen do wear outdoor ghillies at black tie events-- however, in my opinion, this is rather like wearing Doc Martens with a tuxedo. A far better alternative (and certainly the best way to spend your money) is to look around for a pair of very light oxfords, either with a toe cap or wing tips. These have the advantage of being able to be worn with either a suit or kilt.

Another excellent source of evening footwear is available from any tux shop-- patent leather oxfords, or slip-ons, are equally correct for formal kilted attire. If you shop around these can often be purchased for around $100, not a bad investment when you consider that if worn four times a year the shoes will probably last 50-60 years! (I'd avoid the "patent leather" shoes sold by military outfitters like Marlow White as they are really intended for "parade wear" and aren't the best for dining and dancing.)

Your last choice, and these are commercially available, is to by a pair of either formal Highland shoes (the kind with the buckle and strap at the ankle) or a pair of "Jacobite" shoes with buckles on the front. These will run you several hundred dollars, but will cost way less than truly custom shoes. For what it's worth I think the Jacobite shoes tend to look a little costumey, and when it came time to "vote with my wallet" I opted to buy the formal Highland shoes (these are the same as worn by officers in kilted regiments).

I hope the above comments set you off on the right foot when looking for shoes for formal Highland events!

[artificer]

Aye,
if it's semi-formal to black tie you're looking for, you'd be well served to read the thread HERE I started about a month ago.

There is some sage advice from those more learned than I on Highland dress.

[troxel87]

Hmm... the more I think about it (after doing some looking around), I might go with the SportKilt Cali Brogue shoes... http://www.sportkilt.com/product/461...ogues.html#tab

Inexpensive, look like they'd tank around for quite a while... and they'r steel toes, so I won't dent them

[Whidbey78]

Hmm... the more I think about it (after doing some looking around), I might go with the SportKilt Cali Brogue shoes... http://www.sportkilt.com/product/461...ogues.html#tab

Inexpensive, look like they'd tank around for quite a while... and they'r steel toes, so I won't dent them

Make sure you click on the right one!!!

[Tobus]

Hmm... the more I think about it (after doing some looking around), I might go with the SportKilt Cali Brogue shoes... http://www.sportkilt.com/product/461...ogues.html#tab

Inexpensive, look like they'd tank around for quite a while... and they'r steel toes, so I won't dent them

That's a pretty good looking shoe, and the price is pretty low. Can anyone verify that they are real leather uppers as stated? I usually find that shoes at that price end up being something other than leather, and it cracks through after about a year.

Those shoes would be great for wearing at a Highland Games or other casual event, but since you stated that you're trying to build up a "more dressy ensemble", I'm not sure they would quite fit the bill for dress shoes. The heavy tread on the soles would be a little much for that. Others may disagree.

Florsheim makes a decent pair for around $100, and you can get an ASTOUNDING pair from Allen Edmonds for ~$275 which will likely last you 20+ yrs.

If we're talking about shoes into that range, I have to give a thumbs up to the Sanders Braemar. I bought a pair of these a while back, and even with the Dollar being down to the Pound, plus shipping from England, they still cost me less than $250. And I love the pebble-grain look; it's dressy but not formal. I wear these to work about once a week (with trousers), even though I bought them for dressy occasions in my kilt.