Ghillie brogues, yes or no?

[Bugbear]

Well, I like wearing the ankle high, lace up boots with a kilt. I have a black pair, so I guess that is all right.

It seems like brogue shoes are almost always wingtip style. Is this ever done on any non-wingtip style shoes?

[DWFII]

Well, I like wearing the ankle high, lace up boots with a kilt. I have a black pair, so I guess that is all right.

It seems like brogue shoes are almost always wingtip style. Is this ever done on any non-wingtip style shoes?

I guess it kind of depends on what you think of as a "wing-tip." If you mean the re-curved toe cap that swings back past the ball joint, then the answer is "yes."

But many brogues are done with just a straight across toe cap. And some oxford variations (with no toe cap at all) have broguing on them...it kind of depends upon the maker. You get a lot of variation and fanciful work from the high end bespoke makers that you might not see in a "off-the-shelf" shoe.

Check out this link for some very nice, high, high end men's bespoke shoes, many of which are not strictly brogues but which have broguing on them:

http://www.gazianogirling.com/samplebg/index.html

There are several pages of thumbnails here...all of which re-size upwards so be aware of the arrows that take you to the next set of images.

[beloitpiper]

Check out this link for some very nice, high, high end men's bespoke shoes, many of which are not strictly brogues but which have broguing on them:

http://www.gazianogirling.com/samplebg/index.html

There are several pages of thumbnails here...all of which re-size upwards so be aware of the arrows that take you to the next set of images.

YEESH! Those are good-looking nowadays? Wow, my foot would never fit into those. And why are they so pointy? They don't even look like shoes...

Like Riverkilt said, why doesn't somebody make a good shoe for my wide Celtic feet?

[Thunderbolt]

YEESH! Those are good-looking nowadays? Wow, my foot would never fit into those. And why are they so pointy? They don't even look like shoes...

Like Riverkilt said, why doesn't somebody make a good shoe for my wide Celtic feet?

I agree. I'm sure that they are very nice, comfortable and expensive. And to someone, I'm sure they look fantastic.

But not to me.

T.

[DWFII]

YEESH! Those are good-looking nowadays? Wow, my foot would never fit into those. And why are they so pointy? They don't even look like shoes...

Like Riverkilt said, why doesn't somebody make a good shoe for my wide Celtic feet?

Well first off, remember that these are "bespoke." That means that they would be made to your foot and your specifications. The fact that they are narrow looking and pointy is simply....first, the maker has chosen the narrow ones to display. That's a common enough practice when photographing shoes or boots. Something about the proportions of a narrow shoe always looks better than a wide shoe. And second, the fashion in Europe these days, in haute couture, is the long narrow square toe. That too will pass. You need to look past those minor and variable details to the workmanship and the styling. Finally, these are more continental in styling than would be found at a West End London maker such as John Lobb, St. James Place. http://www.johnlobbltd.co.uk/main/main.htm

As a bespoke maker myself, I admire Gaziano and Girling quite a bit, but I wouldn't necessarily make shoes with that pointy a toe and certainly not for myself. That said, it bears repeating that a bespoke maker is going to put whatever toe you want on a shoe. I'm making a pair of shoes for a fellow kilt wearer even now that have a wide round toe but it easily could have been a wide square toe to wear with a kilt.

But when you are looking at off-the-rack, you'll never, ever find something to fit your wide feet. And I've yet to see a ghillie brogue offered by a high end bespoke maker...they're most often made (and priced) like a low end Allen Edmonds here in the states.

I guess you get what you pay for...$700+ for a kilt, $150-200 for shoes???!! And you guys with "wide, Celtic" feet?! Tsk!

[beloitpiper]

Well first off, remember that these are "bespoke." That means that they would be made to your foot and your specifications. The fact that they are narrow looking and pointy is simply....first, the maker has chosen the narrow ones to display. That's a common enough practice when photographing shoes or boots. Something about the proportions of a narrow shoe always looks better than a wide shoe. And second, the fashion in Europe these days, in haute couture, is the long narrow square toe. That too will pass. You need to look past those minor and variable details to the workmanship and the styling. Finally, these are more continental in styling than would be found at a West End London maker such as John Lobb, St. James Place. http://www.johnlobbltd.co.uk/main/main.htm

http://www.johnlobbltd.co.uk/catalog...s/ghillies.htm





ooOOOOooo! Pretty!

[DWFII]

http://www.johnlobbltd.co.uk/catalog...s/ghillies.htm





ooOOOOooo! Pretty!

Wow! I missed those...haven't been on Lobbs site for a year or so.

But hey! There you go...for all those folks with wide, Celtic feet. Looks like they might even have a tongue --I go back and forth, one minute I think there's a tongue, next time I look I think it's just the tree I'm seeing.

[Thunderbolt]

It's so nice to see plaids used! We need to do this more in the States! (In cooler weather of course!)

Looks like they've even got a tongue.

I think you're seeing the wooden tree on the inside.

T.