Ghillie brogues, yes or no?

[Phil]

They are not, however...adamantly not...the same as Mary Janes or the shoes depicted in your first two photos. They are not even, in a technical sense, brogues.

They were posted to give two examples of dress shoes worn with the kilt. The pictures are artists impressions and don't show any detailing on the shoes so whether or not they are brogues I can't tell. What they all do have in common, however, is buckles, whether they are slip-on type like your penny-loafers or strap and buckle they are a traditional type of men's dress shoe in common usage before the advent of ghillie brogues. And they are comfortable, I can assure you. Very much like an old-fashioned "Jesus" sandal is comfortable. And, contrary to what you say that they have "a big honking buckle right over the ball of the foot" the buckle is actually forward of where the shoe bends when worn which is the open part between the strap and the buckle. I do feel there is an element of sexual stereotyping when it comes to shoes and calling buckle brogues "Mary Janes" and inferring they are only worn by little girls is really no different from calling a kilt a "skirt". At one time wearing sandals and/or powder blue jeans was supposed to advertise to the world that you were gay. And how ridiculous is that? Both are long established items of male attire and to infer anything otherwise says a great deal more about ones own personal hang-ups than those of the wearer.