Ghillie Brogues: just for formal wear

[OC Richard]

About ghillies being heavy and uncomfortable, it isn't necessarily so.

I remember well when I went to buy my first pair, back around 1976. The vendor carried Keltic brand ghillies, and explained to me that they came in two styles, a heavy one made of thick leather, and a lighter one made of soft thin leather. The lighter, softer ones were NOT dance ghillies. Both styles had soles and heels like any dress shoe.

Anyhow I bought the lighter softer ones (paid IIRC $70, a lot of money in 1976) and they were just about the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. I wore them regularly for around 30 years, when, after being resoled a half-dozen times, it was finally time to retire them. I switched to my "new" ghillies, an identical pair of Keltics I purchased in the 1980s. After several resolings these also had to be retired, a few months ago. I wish I could get their like now!

All I could find recently was Thistle brand ghillies, fairly comfortable, but rather heavy as you say, and a far cry from those Keltics!

Anyhow like 99.99% of the world's Highland pipers I wear ghillies both in the band and when playing solo.

But for formal events I recreated the 19th century "buckle loafer" look, which I prefer to the Mary Jane style. Here I am wearing them



Here's the original, in 1860