Quote Originally Posted by Bob C. View Post
I like them with the Prince Charlie suit. They're obviously not for casual wear. Those buckle brogues look like the shoes little girls wore when I was in elementary school in the '60s.
Not all buckle shoes are created equal.

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/a...&pictureid=546

On the other hand, we call the shoes you're referring to "Mary Janes" simply because they are very similar to what little girls wear/wore.

As a shoemaker, I think they look silly or odd because they violate a number of aesthetic principles...not the least is having a big honking buckle right over the ball of the foot--the area of the foot that must bend and flex, and deeply. I've never worn a pair but I suspect they cannot be all that comfortable. Many of the old books on making shoes speak of techniques and styles that are reserved for people who don't move around much...it's not hard to imagine some styles of footwear and or clothing evolving and coming into vogue in an era when (ahem) "leisure" time was reserved for the very rich.