The brogue (derived from the Gaeilge bróg (Irish), and the Gaelic bròg (Scottish) for "shoe")[1][2] is a style of low-heeled shoe or boot traditionally characterised by multiple-piece, sturdy leather uppers with decorative perforations (or "broguing") and serration along the pieces' visible edges.[3]
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.[4] Brogues are most commonly found in one of four toe cap styles (full or "wingtip", semi-, quarter and longwing) and four closure styles (Oxford, Derby, ghillie, and monk). Today, as well as their typical form of sturdy leather shoes or boots, brogues may take the form of business dress shoes, sneakers, 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.
Modern brogues trace their roots to a rudimentary shoe originating in Ireland and Scotland that was constructed using untanned hide.[5] 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. However, contemporaneous descriptions of the original brogues do not mention such holes.[5] Nevertheless the practise of adding holes to shoes was no doubt a normal practise for, according to JG McKay in "Notes of a Pair of Pampooties" in 1894,[6] in a letter to Henry VIII of 1543, a Scot named John Elder describes making holes in a type of shoe made from uncured leather, called a pampootie, which was so common in Scotland that the England named the Scots for it, as "rough-footed Scots". The word "brogue" came into English in the late sixteenth century. It comes from the Gaeilge bróg (Irish), Gaelic bròg (Scottish) "shoe", from the Old Norse "brók" meaning "leg covering".[1][2] The Scots word brogue[7] is also used to denote a bradawl or boring tool as well as the action of piercing with such a tool.[8]
The word "brogue" was first used to describe a form of outdoor, country walking shoe in the early twentieth century traditionally worn by men.[1] 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.[4] Brogues continue to be most common as leather dress shoes, casual shoes and boots, but can be found in other forms including canvas and leather sneakers and high-heeled women's shoes.
Brogue styles are determined by the shape of the toe cap (a separate piece of leather or material added over the toe box) 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.
The word, Irish and Scots Gaelic brōg, comes from Old Norse brók 'leg covering'...
BROGUE: 1.1 A rough shoe of untanned leather, formerly worn in parts of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands.
Brogue: A laced shoe with many sections, which are punched and serrated around the edges.
Once seen as solely appropriate for country jaunts, the brogue has now been embraced as one of the most versatile of shoes, pretty much acceptable everywhere.
And now, having in the pursuit of our history of boots and shoes.... See also Brogue shoe on Open Library at the Internet Archive.
BROGUE, Brog, Broag, n.1 A rough Highland shoe of untanned hide, stitched with thongs of leather. Orig. Irish and Sc. but now St.Eng. and used everywhere to denote a heavy shoe of any kind. Also dim. brogan.
1. n. (1) A bradawl; a boring instrument; a goad. 2. v. To prick, pierce;
A light-weight shoe for smart, but not strictly formal, Town wear. This particular style, which has been copied all over the World, was first created by JOHN LOBB some eighty years ago when shoes first began to take the place of boots. It was designed to meet the demand for a shoe less severe than the plain Oxford yet lighter in style and weight than a fully-brogued shoe.
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)co-respondent shoes: two-toned shoes. Jocular. The flashy, disreputable type, usually brown and white. In easy no-fault divorce, there is no need for co-respondents.
