Brogue shoes are defiantly the kind of shoes that caught your eye for their elegance and practicality.
You might think they’re new, but their elegance has got a long history that’s worth exploring, so that the next time you go for a brogue shoe, you can share your very reasonable fascination with people about it.
The Definition of a Brogue Shoe
Brogue shoe is a term that is used to refer to different sets of patterns of decorative perforations that can decorate a pair of shoes. Brogue shoes can be used in the context as classic shoes, casual shoes, dress shoes, and more.
History & Origins of Brogue Shoes
The very first people who are known for their magnificent invention, the brogue shoes, are Scottish and Irish people. They needed this kind of practical shoes in their country outdoors for tough missions. They had a problem, that water can get easily into their shoes while working and get stuck as there are no perforations in their shoes. So, brogue shoes came to the rescue. At first, they didn’t decorate the perforations themselves. They choose the kind of animals that their leather already has these perforations. The word brogue is the English version of the Irish word brog which means ‘rough or stout shoes
Common Brogue Misconceptions
Some people think that Oxford or derby and brogue are the same. In fact the difference between them is in the lacing system. Closed lacing or when the eyelets are attached to the top of the vamp.
The other distinctive difference is in the design, but you may have a derby or an Oxford that has brogues in it.
Different Styles of Brogues
With such a great shoe with a long history, it’s only natural to have many different designs of it, each and every one of them expresses a different side of elegance, luxury and practicality.
while some brogues have laces that wrap around the whole shoe, others have laces that go up the side of the foot. Others don't have lace panels, while some do. Even some brogues have additional padding under the tongue
Full Brogues or Wingtips
Full brogues or wingtips feature a pointed atoe cap that runs down both sides of the shoe and typically ends near the heel of the foot (both terms are fine). The form of the cap when viewed from above is either a "M" or a "W," depending on the angle you're seeing it from. It has decorative broguing in the medallion-shaped area in the middle of the toe cap as well as around its edges. This style has a few versions.
Blind Brogues
Blind brogues are described as having a wingtip toe cap with only the edges brogued and no medallion. This version of brogue is one of the most common ones.
Longwing Brogues
Longwing brogues are distinct from full brogues or wingtip brogue in that the wingtip's "wings" extended along the whole length of the shoe and unite at the heel's centre seam. In the US and the UK, they are sometimes referred to as "English brogues" and "American brogues," alternately. Although Oxford longwing brogues are rare, longwing brogues are frequently produced as a derby.
Semi or Half Brogues
Half-brogues or semi-brogues have toe caps without wings or extensions and have broguing on the sides and edge of the cap. and possess a medallion, too.
There are other semi-brogue versions available today, such as the V cap, the cap without a medallion, and the addition of a second, recessed piece of brogued leather beneath the hat
Quarter Brogues
Semi- and half-brogues and quarter-brogues both own the distinctive feature of having toe caps with no points, extensions, or wings. But, keep in mind that they are distinct from semi- or half-brogues in that they lack a medallion and just feature broguing along the border of the cap.
Ghillie Brogues
Ghillie brogues, which also come in a black variant for evening dress shoes, are the typical style for formal Scottish footwear. Their lack of a tongue and lengthy laces that wrap around the legs above the ankle and are knotted below the calf set them apart from other full-brogue or wingtip styles. There are various ghillie brogue styles with no ankle laces.
U-Cap or U-Tip Brogue
A complete brogue that wraps around the shoe's vamp and has a cap that is u-shaped rather than pointed like a wingtip is known as a U-Cap or U-Tip brogue.
Brogues and The Type of Leather
We can’t say that brogues are all about the decorations and the design. A great part of the design success is the kind of lather used to produce these magnificent pieces of art. Synthetic leather won’t be able to give to full impression of elegance that comes with these shoes. On the other hand, natural leather is the thing that you’re looking for, for such a mission. Using natural leather also in these shoes will get the possibility that these shoes get scuffed to almost zero. Unlike the easily scuffed synthetic leather.
Different Styles and Brogue Shoes
We already have mentioned that brogues were made for totally practical purposes like work and physical effort. This wasn’t for so long until they were adopted by High-class Englishmen who liked them a lot for their decorations and their constant need to be made by a typical artist. Brogues suit and are more common within the casual style area more. However, it is also fine to wear them in a casual business meeting.
The Right Brogue for You
By now you may have noticed that there are several different styles of brogues some of them are similar and some are totally different to each other. One thing in common between all of them that they share the same sense of practicality and elegance. Their perforations are decorative and makes it so hard for anyone sees you wearing these shoes not to take a closer look at them, one with total admiration to the sense of art they add to the shoe. And to be more up-to-date with the latest brogue styles you will find our collection helpful with that.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Are Brogue shoes formal?
As we mentioned. They were made at the first place for practical reasons, but with time, this no longer became the only context in which they’re accepted to be worn. So yes, they are suitable for casual business meetings nowadays.
2. What is an Austerity Brogue?
We said that the definition of brogues is that they are shoes with decorative perforations Well, Austerity Brogue is just not so. Yes, it has the same form, shape, and decorations, but the perforations are blocked from the inside with leather.
