Ghillie Brogues - as regular shoes?

[Flying Scotsman]

So what with it being St. Patrick's day and all, of course I had to wear my kilt for an evening out (yes, I know all about how it's not "authentic" and merely a Victorian something-or-other...but I do wear Duncan, which is at least an ancient Scottish name).

So I'm looking at my ghillie brogues, and thinking...hey, these are supposedly the origination of "brogues", including wingtips, medallions captoes, etc. So what would prevent me from wearing these as just regular ol' shoes with dress clothes? And I thinks to myself...ask the folks on FL!

So...anybody ever heard of anyone wearing ghillies as regular dress shoes? If so, how'd they look? If not, why not?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

since you wouldn't see the laces going up to your knee, i can't see an issue with wearing ghillies as normal shoes.

bk

p.s. the only issue with kilts is the patterns. The garment itself has a decent historical precedent.

 

[cookie]

Ghillies as Fashion

http://www.savilerow-style.com/astylepage3.htm

Have a look at this BK.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

i don't see any ghillie brogues there.

bk

 

[rongoms]

having just spent 15 hours in my ghillies yesterday, I can't see a reason to not wear them as daily wear shoes.

The lack of a tongue might be off-putting to people, bu i think iof it as an opportunity to show oss some neat stockings.


I think i might just use them with regular laces, insead of the traditional high-tie style.

The worst part is finding high-quaity ghillies. There area a couple of shops in the UK and Scotland that have proper leather-soled, steel tap versions, but most places in the US stock only a low quality leather sole version or a Rubber-soled "Doc Martin" variation they refer to as a "Piper's Ghillie"

As a an aside, it's completely proper to wear sraitional shoes with your highland attire., not just ghillies. Monk-strap shoes with a nice silver buckle looks just grand, as does a pair of well polished cap toes. My leather Orvis ankle boots (with hose rolled 8th Army style) or even brown suede chukkas look just grand as well!
I'm currently on a quest for BRWON (or even Allen Edmonds British Tan Ghillies), but i'm not holding my breath.

 

[cookie]

Lobb Ghillies to wear to work?

 

[Flying Scotsman]

I'm sure these are the finest articles of clothing in all of Creation, but even if I HAD the money, I could not justify $4000 for a pair of shoes. To me, that's conspicuous consumption in the extreme...and considering the reputation of the Scots for being "thrifty", the very idea of a pair of ghillies that cost that much seems rather incongruous!

They are beautiful, and I'm sure to some they're worth every penny, but too rich for my blood.

 

[rongoms]

$4,000+......i think not.

I'd have Indy make me a dozen pair before spending that kind of dough.

John Lobb is truly impress-your-friends kind of clothing. Give a guy a Royal Warrant and he's free to charge whatever ......

They are lovely though.

 

[Orgetorix]

While I don't and likely never will have $4000 to spend on a pair of shoes, neither do I think that those who buy Lobbs are necessarily guilty of "conspicuous consumption" or buying only to impress one's friends. While that may be true of some Lobb customers, I think many of them know that Lobbs are some of the best shoes available, know it's expensive to produce great quality, and are willing and able to pay for the best because they value quality in the product itself. Not at all the same as a person who might pay the same for a pair of cheaply made Armani shoes that are just expensive because of the name.

Sometimes it's easy to forget that the law of diminishing returns factors hugely in the luxury products market. Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that quality can be quantified. A $300 Allen-Edmonds shoe might well be three times as good as a pair of $100 Bostonians. But a $1000 Edward Green shoe might not be three times as good as the Allen-Edmonds, and a $4000 Lobb shoe almost certainly isn't four times the quality of the Greens. It's just that the farther you go along the luxury scale, the smaller and more expensive each advancement becomes. This is true of almost any luxury item--a sports car that can go 200 mph might be twice as expensive as one that can only do 180.

Some people, whatever their reasons, are willing and able to pay for the best, and so it's worth the money to them. It might not be worth it to me, but then, a pair of Lobbs is a huge chunk of my annual income. Who am I to judge how others spend their money?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

This is true of almost any luxury item ...

Including wine!


.

 

[cookie]

Including Wine

Wine is extraordinary Down Under.

Of course you have your Grange Hermitages etc but there is such a glut when you buy thru internet traders you find you can have the EGs for the price of AEs.

Shoes seem to be a declining number of quality sellers where wine has too many quality sellers and too much quality output.

 

[Orgetorix]

when you buy thru internet traders you find you can have the EGs for the price of AEs.

I nearly had a heart attack until I realized this was a metaphor. :eusa_doh:

 

[Fastuni]

Got a pair of vintage, rust brown Ghillie brogues in wonderfu... eh, really bonny condition.
Since I am unkilted and "no true Scotsman" I don't see an occasion to wear them... besides being a size too large for me.
Will sell them therefore in not too distant future.

They are a UK 11 / US 11.5 / EU 45 or even a half size larger.
Inside sole 30 cm, outside sole 32.4 cm

I assume that these brown ones are regular, "everyday"/sportive Ghillies, worn with kilt and a tweed jacket.
Unlike the more "dressy, festive" black Ghillies.

 

[mondocatto]

Interesting this, I have a pair that I wear as regular shoes all the time, usually with coloured socks. I see it as sort of a Vivienne Westwood sort of thing (she showed them with all of her menswear a few years ago). No metal taps though, don't want to walk around making that sort of racket!