Any time I try to wear sandals I wind up with gravel under my feet.

I do wear chunky hiking shoes with a utility kilt or occasionally with a casual tartan kilt. Although not quite as tall as combat-style boots, I think the chunkiness, with thick socks, balances the look. It's almost as high as combat boots with kilt socks scrunched down, which I personally don't care for as it looks like my garters collapsed and I failed to notice.