The brogue (derived from the

Gaeilge Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was the ...

(

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

), and the

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...

( Scottish) for "shoe") is a style of low-heeled

shoe A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. They are often worn with a sock. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration and fashion. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from cultur ...

boot A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is c ...

traditionally characterised by multiple-piece, sturdy leather uppers with decorative

perforations A perforation is a small hole in a thin material or web. There is usually more than one perforation in an organized fashion, where all of the holes collectively are called a ''perforation''. The process of creating perforations is called perfor ...

(or "broguing") and serration along the pieces' visible edges. Brogues were traditionally considered to be outdoor or country footwear as the perforations were originally intended to allow the upper to dry more quickly in wet climates. As such they were otherwise considered not appropriate for casual or business occasions, but brogues are now considered appropriate in most contexts. Brogues are most commonly found in one of four toe cap styles (full or "wingtip", semi-, quarter and longwing) and four closure styles (

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...

ghillie ''Gillie'' or ''ghillie'' is an ancient Gaelic term for a person who acts as a servant or attendant on a fishing, hunting, deer stalking or hawking expedition, primarily in the Scottish Highlands or on a river such as the River Spey. In origi ...

, and

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedic ...

). Today, as well as their typical form of sturdy leather shoes or boots, brogues may take the form of business

dress shoe A dress shoe (U.S. English) is a shoe to be worn at smart casual or more formal events. A dress shoe is typically contrasted to an athletic shoe. Dress shoes are worn by many as their standard daily shoes, and are widely used in dance, for part ...

sneakers Sneakers (also called trainers, athletic shoes, tennis shoes, gym shoes, kicks, sport shoes, flats, running shoes, or runners) are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used fo ...

, high-heeled women's shoes, or any other shoe form that utilises or evokes the multi-piece construction and perforated, serrated piece edges characteristic of brogues.

History

Modern brogues trace their roots to a rudimentary shoe originating in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

and

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

that was constructed using untanned hide. Modern brogues feature decorative perforations. These are often said to stem from the original Irish brogues as well, specifically from holes intended to allow water to drain from the shoes when the wearer crossed wet terrain such as a

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...

. However, contemporaneous descriptions of the original brogues do not mention such holes. The word "brogue" came into English in the late sixteenth century. It comes from the

''bróg'' (Irish),

''bròg'' (Scottish) "shoe", from the Old Norse "brók" meaning "leg covering". The Scots word ''brogue'' is also used to denote a

bradawl A bradawl is a woodworking hand tool with a blade similar to that of a straight screwdriver and a handle's made from wood or plastic. Purpose A bradawl is used to make indentations in wood or other materials in order to ease the insertion of a ...

or boring tool as well as the action of piercing with such a tool. The word "brogue" was first used to describe a form of outdoor, country walking shoe in the early twentieth century traditionally worn by men. At that time the brogue was not considered to be appropriate for other occasions, social or business. Over time, perceptions have changed and brogues are now considered appropriate footwear in most contexts, including business. Brogues continue to be most common as leather

dress shoes A dress shoe (U.S. English) is a shoe to be worn at smart casual or more formal events. A dress shoe is typically contrasted to an athletic shoe. Dress shoes are worn by many as their standard daily shoes, and are widely used in dance, for part ...

, casual shoes and boots, but can be found in other forms including canvas and leather sneakers and high-heeled women's shoes.

Styles

Brogue styles are determined by the shape of the toe cap (a separate piece of leather or material added over the

toe box The toe box is the section of footwear that surrounds the toes on closed-toe shoes. Toe boxes that are too tight can cause injuries and foot deformities, whereas wider toe boxes may be used to treat or prevent common foot conditions such as Mor ...

) and include the commonly available full brogue (or "wingtip" in the United States), semi-brogue and quarter brogue styles, and may be found in the less common longwing brogue style. Closure style is not a defining characteristic of the brogue and therefore brogues can be found in closure styles that include laced Oxford, Derby or ghillie styles, but can be found as buckle and monk strap shoes and slip-on shoes with or without elastic closures. Most commonly offered as a leather dress shoe, brogues may also come in the form of boots, canvas or leather sneakers, or any other shoe type that includes or evokes the multi-piece construction and perforated, serrated edges characteristic of brogues. * Full brogues (also known as wingtips) are characterised by a pointed toe cap with extensions (wings) that run along both sides of the toe, terminating near the ball of the foot. Viewed from the top, this toe cap style is "W" shaped and looks similar to a bird with extended wings, explaining the style name "wingtips" that is commonly used in the United States. The toe cap of a full brogue is both perforated and serrated along its edges, and includes additional decorative perforations in the center of the toe cap called the medallion. ** Austerity brogue has a wingtip-shaped toe cap without perforations. ** Blind brogue has no actual toe cap, but has perforations in the shape of the wingtip-style as if it had a toe cap. * Semi-brogues or half brogues are characterised by a straight-edged toe cap with decorative perforations and serration along the cap's edge and includes additional decorative perforations in the center of the toe cap, called a medallion. The half brogue was first designed and produced by John Lobb Ltd. as an Oxford in the early 1900s when shoes first began to take the place of boots, in an effort to offer his customers a shoe more stylish than a plain oxford, yet not as bold as a full brogue. * Quarter brogues are characterised by a toe cap with decorative perforations and serrations only along the cap's edge, and omit the decorative perforations in the center of the toe cap (no medallion). Quarter brogues are more formal than semi brogues and full brogues; they are the most formal of dress shoes with brogueing, making them ideal to pair with business attire. * Longwing brogues are characterised by wings that extend the full length of the shoe, meeting at a center seam at the heel. Longwing Derby brogues were most popular in the US during the 1970s, and although the popularity of this style has decreased, it remains available on the market. Longwing brogues are also known as "American" brogues. File:Fullbrogue (Grenson).jpg, Full brogue File:Halfbrogue (Grenson).jpg, Semi-brogue File:Acorn captoes side.JPG, Quarter brogues File:Illu-fullbrouge-longwing-s.png, Longwing brogue * Spectator shoes, or co-respondent shoes in British English, are full brogue Oxfords constructed from two contrasting colours, typically having the toe and heel cap and sometimes the lace panels in a darker color than the main body of the shoe. Common color combinations include a white shoe body with either black or tan caps, but other colours can be used. *

Ghillie brogues The brogue (derived from the Gaeilge ( Irish), and the Gaelic ( Scottish) for "shoe") is a style of low-heeled shoe or boot traditionally characterised by multiple-piece, sturdy leather uppers with decorative perforations (or "broguing") an ...

are a full brogue with no tongue to facilitate drying, and long laces that wrap around the leg above the ankle and tie below the calf to facilitate keeping the tie clear of mud. Despite the original functional aspects of their design, ghillie brogues are now most commonly seen as a component of traditional Scottish Highland attire and are worn primarily for formal social occasions. File:Oxford full brogue spectator shoes.jpg, Spectator shoes File:Ghillie Brogues.jpg, Ghillie brogues File:Shoes MET CI53.76.23ab.jpg, Women's high heel brogues File:Trickers Stow boots in burnished expresso.jpg, Brogued boots File:Tasselloafer.jpg, Blind brogue

loafers Slip-ons are typically low, lace-less shoes. The style which is most commonly seen, known as a loafer or slippers in American culture, has a moccasin construction. One of the first designs was introduced in London by Wildsmith Shoes, called the W ...

References

External links

{{Footwear Shoes History of fashion Irish clothing Scottish clothing