shoe color

[McMurdo]

Brown brogues



or Black brogues work well.

[Styckbow]

For me as well it depends on the event I am attending, if I am going out to the bar or a highland festival with lots of walking its my combat or hiking boots. If I am attending a more formal event such as a dance, or Burns supper it's my black dress shoes. For instance tomorrow I will be selling 50/50 tickets at a country music concert to help raise some money for our local Scottish club so I will be wearing my Pride of Scotland kilt, club t-shirt, black day sporran. black hose and combat boots. On Sunday I will be attending our local Remembrance day ceremony and I will be wearing my freedom tartan kilt, green hose, semiformal rabbit fur sporran, green sweater with a white shirt under and my black dress shoes because it is a more formal event. So just like the other far wiser members than I said it just depends on the event

[OC Richard]

Shoe-colour is an interesting topic in Highland Dress.

In the 18th century you see brown and black, the brown appearing to be traditional deerskin soft Highland shoes and the black often being more like Sassenach brogues.

In Victorian times the brogues, be they ordinary Oxford-looking shoes or the Mary Jane style shoes, are black while the shoes we now call Ghillies are usually tan roughout. (Sporrans were hair.)

In all of my vintage Highland Dress catalogues, ranging from the 1920s through the 1950s, only black shoes are mentioned or illustrated. (Ghillies had become just another style of brogue, more or less.) Only tan or brown leather Day sporrans are mentioned or illustrated, meaning that the wearing of black shoes with brown sporrans is presumed. Indeed when I first got into kiltwearing in the 1970s that was what I saw most people wearing. (I still remember the first time I saw a gent wearing matching brown sporran and shoes, and how odd it struck me at the time.)

After a century of not being popular, brown Ghillies are making a big comeback now, and as McMurdo demonstrates the wearing of brown wingtips looks great.

As to the wearing of combat boots, cowboy boots, trainers, flip-flops, etc. with the kilt these things fall outside of traditional Highland Dress so there are no traditions or norms to be addressed.

Yes indeed in Victorian time ankle boots were popular in Highland Dress but for whatever reason they fell out of favour around 1900.

Time for pretty pictures!

Brown deerskin sporran and black shoes in the 18th century



A variety of shoe-colours seen in the 18th century. (Evidently the behaviour of pipers hasn't changed.)



The tan roughout Ghillies of the Victorians. Note that all the other leather of his elaborate kit is black. The dirk handles are light brown wood.



A typical Victorian Highlander: ordinary jacket (not shortened for the kilt), ankle boots, no flashes or kilt pin, and Glengarry and long hair sporran (both thought of today as being "military")



The 1930s. You can get any colour shoes you want, as long as you want black. Note that black brogues are specifically sold for day wear. (All Day sporrans offered were brown.)



Black brogues are "correct" for Day dress; note that no flashes are worn in the illustration despite the text.



The resurgence of brown Ghillies: Gordon Walker. (His sporran is a lovely Nicoll Brothers, in dark brown.)

[Tobus]

Yes indeed in Victorian time ankle boots were popular in Highland Dress but for whatever reason they fell out of favour around 1900.

I am very fond of the ankle boots seen in many of the photos and paintings from 1850-1900. The construction and style were much more shapely than a lot of modern boots, especially in the heel and toe. Some of the "ammo boots" that can be found today are similar, albeit still more chunky in the sole. The boots in Victorian times had a nice aesthetic proportion with kilts, where most modern boots are just too large and out of proportion for my tastes.

But I'm all for bringing back the ankle boot for daywear! The new pair of brogued "country boots" I just got from Samuel Windsor are not quite the same as the Victorian style, but I think they work great with the kilt for spending the day out-of-doors like I did today. The two-tone effect of the sole wouldn't have been my first choice, but I am learning to like it. Anyway, hurrah for ankle boots!

[ThistleDown]

Black is the traditional colour for Highland footwear.

I have a long-lasting pair of green wellies (for the muck), a pair of working boots in brown and something that was probably olive at one time (for the field), a pair of black and tan deck shoes (for inside and outside), and a pair of terribly comfortable grey and black 'house' shoes. I rarely wear brogues these days (a comfort issue; but I do find gillie brogues comfortable).

With the exception of the above 'occupational' uses, my upbringing always takes me to the black end of the shoe rack when I am wearing a kilt.

[OC Richard]

Ah Tobus that outfit and those shoes are amazing.

Some more ankle-boots in Victorian Highland Dress

[Jock Scot]

I lean towards black shoes with the kilt. Well polished for day attire is all that is needed and super polished( patent leather style) for evening attire. I occasionally wear dark brown shoes with the kilt but avoid tan shoes at all costs. In case anyone is wondering I have never worn, nor am I likely to, those dreadful ghillie brogues of any colour.