Formal Buckle Shoes

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

What is it about those shoes that looks costumey as compared to the buckle brogues?

As I see it, the broad boxed toe, the stacked, undercut, walking heel, and the high-over-the-instep tongue give this shoe an undeniable "George Washington wore these" look, and makes them the perfect candidate for a costume picture set in the 18th century. Dress brogues, on the other hand, are still an accepted item of 21st century formal Highland attire and in that context are no more costumey than a sporran.

Finding these sort of shoes would probably be more of a stretch...

Check with your local tux shop and find out when they are selling off their ex-rental stock. A friend of mine did that last year and bought a nearly new pair of similarly styled shoes for about $35, as I recall.