What are brogues on shoes?

Men's brogues are not a separate type of shoe, but only a way of decorating the edges of pieces of leather from which the upper is sewn and openwork on these fragments by means of serrated edges, which overlap when sewing. This type of decoration is used in all types of shoes: oxfords, derby shoes, monks, loafers, ankle boots, Chelsea boots, etc. Interestingly, the name brogues is used only in reference to oxfords and derby shoes, i.e. shoes with closed and open vamps. However, other types of shoes with the above-mentioned decorations retain their proper name, except that the information that they have brogues is added. So a monk with brogues is still a monk, not a brogue, but we include information about this decoration in its description. Brogue shoes are divided into several different types depending on the way the upper is sewn, which certainly complicates the nomenclature a bit.

Where do brogues come from?

In various sources you can read that brogues have their origins in the Irish countryside, where characteristic shoes sewn together from several pieces of leather were used. Because the areas there were wet, the shoes often became soaked with water. To speed up the drying of the leather, serrated edges and openwork were invented. This simply increased the edge line of the skin, which accelerated the evaporation of water. It is worth noting that this is not about openwork through, which would accelerate the drying of the inside of the shoe, as you can read in many places. Such a hole would be pointless as it would accelerate the soaking. Drilling involved making holes in the layer of leather that was on top and stitched to the solid layer underneath. 

English gentlemen were so delighted with the shoes of the Irish that they decided to borrow their decorating method. In elegant brogues, the teeth and openwork no longer have functional functions (accelerating drying), but only decorative functions. The etymology of the name brogues (Englishbrogues) proves that English lords borrowed shoes from the Irish. The word brogue means an Irish accent in English. However, the matter of naming is not clear because there is also a reverse version. She says that it was Irish peasants who invented the word brogue, which comes from the Irish brogue which simply means shoes. The English took over this word and started calling it the Irish accent, which they associated with pronouncing words as if the speaker had a shoe in his mouth.

Where does the Polish name for Scots come from, if brogue shoes come from Ireland? Well, the story quoted above can also be found in a Scottish version. Waterlogged peat bogs and villagers inventing a way to make their skin dry faster are the same, the only difference is the location. However, the wordbrogue dla określenia akcentu, z czasem zaczęło być używane przez Anglików w szerszym znaczeniu, nie tylko dla nazwania akcentu irlandzkiego ale wszystkich akcentów okołoangielskich, w także szkockiego. Za wersją szkocką przemawia dodatkowy argument, mianowicie elementem oficjalnych strojów szkockich są buty zwane Ghillie brogues - very specific, without a tongue, available only in black.

Nazwa golfs is related to the fact that classic golf shoes often have decorations typical of brogues, and sometimes they are even classic brogues with added spikes. 

What are the types of brogues?

As we mentioned above, there are many different types of shoe brogues, depending on the way the upper is sewn and decorated. Below I present the most important types, which, however, do not exhaust all the possibilities:

Full brogues, wingtip - decorations are on the entire shoe, both the toe and the upper,

Semi-brogues brogues, half brogues) - decorations cover the entire toe of the shoe,

Quarter brogues - delicate decorations are only on the stitching

Longwing brogues - available only in the derby version and have a sewn-in strip of leather ending at the heel with decorations. This type of shoes was invented by Americans in the 1970s.

Brogs are less formal shoes and are not suitable for formal evening suits (even if they are black), not to mention tuxedos. The most famous case of breaking this rule was the way Prince William dressed at the wedding reception after his marriage to Catherine Middleton on April 29, 2011. He wore black brogues with a black, double-breasted tuxedo. William's aversion to court etiquette is known, and one of its manifestations was the fact that he wore these shoes. The dress code black tie was announced in advance and all guests complied, while William's manifestation in terms of footwear was unexpected and, it must be said, commented quite sarcastically by the tradition-bound British.| ||2441

Do jakich stylizacji można nosić buty brogsy?

As we mentioned at the beginning, brogues are one of the most universal shoes; Indeed, apart from the evening (and beach) styles mentioned above, they are suitable for everything. They look best with day suits and coordinated sets, but they will also work well with casual or semi-sporty sets. They are great with jeans or chinos (especially derbies). This type of shoes is very safe to combine with other elements of the outfit. If they are brown or cognac, they match all colors except black, if they have an unusual color (e.g. navy blue, red, green), you need to pay a little more attention to color coordination, but the possibility of making a mistake is not great.

It is also worth paying attention to two- or three-color brogues, the so-called spectator shoes. They achieved their greatest triumphs in the 1920s and 1930s (mainly by gangsters, such as Al Capone), but were still eagerly worn in the 1950s - especially in the United States. Today, they are a great rarity, desired by lovers of classic men's elegance. They also survived among tango lovers, but only in the black and white version. They are absolutely mandatory at dance meetings.

At ClassicButach.pl we love brogues and we sell them in all possible varieties, including bothoxfords and|| |2453 derby, and brocaded monks andboots. Black cap toe brogues such as 2509 and 4408 by Berwick andNewcastle by Barker will be a fantastic complement to navy blue (or black) ) formal suits (if someone wants to be a trendsetter like Prince William they can wear them with an evening suit).   

On the other hand, the same shoes in shades of brown are the perfect addition to everyday suits and coordinated sets. Our  full brogues and longwings such as Partigiani 7733,Berwick 3561 and 3571 are a great companion to coordinated outfits, summer suits, chinos and even jeans. However, Berwick shoes4485 and4170, Nord Meka G099 and Partigiani 7730 are great representatives of typical country style shoes, perfect for jeans, for walks, shopping, i.e. for casual outfits. These are just examples of brogues in our SHOEHOUSE - please visit our showroom and our website.