Black Tie Combinations

[Tobus]

OC Richard, I wish that Keltic still made shoes. Or that someone would start making them in the same style. I have a vintage pair of Keltic ghillie brogues with the thinner leather soles, and they are indeed very comfortable. I just wear them with regular shoe laces, not the long ones that go up the leg. The top leather also seems thinner and more flexible than what the market has to offer these days. (photo below)

I actually wouldn't mind having some rubber tread on them, since they usually get worn out-of-doors at clan gatherings, Highland games, and similar events. Walking around in the grass and gravel with hard smooth leather soles can be tricky. One of these days I need to take them to a cobbler (or what passes for one these days) and see about that. They don't need resoling yet, and I don't want to ruin their comfort or looks. I just want some traction!

Looking at your photo of the shoes above, they do appear to be the heavier outdoor/piping/marching variety. That wide welt makes a huge difference in the "clunkiness" of the shoe. I suppose I'm going about it all backwards, wearing a pair of ghillie brogues out-of-doors that were made for indoor dress occasions, and I should probably just invest in the piper style if I want to wear ghillie brogues where I wear them. But I really just like the slimmer, thinner, more flexible feel of these. I don't necessarily plan to ever wear them with long laces in an evening-wear setting, but I do think these would be the more appropriate style for that, rather than the thicker SUV-level shoes everyone sells these days.

[Blaidd]

OC Richard, I wish that Keltic still made shoes. Or that someone would start making them in the same style. I have a vintage pair of Keltic ghillie brogues with the thinner leather soles, and they are indeed very comfortable. I just wear them with regular shoe laces, not the long ones that go up the leg. The top leather also seems thinner and more flexible than what the market has to offer these days. (photo below)

I actually wouldn't mind having some rubber tread on them, since they usually get worn out-of-doors at clan gatherings, Highland games, and similar events. Walking around in the grass and gravel with hard smooth leather soles can be tricky. One of these days I need to take them to a cobbler (or what passes for one these days) and see about that. They don't need resoling yet, and I don't want to ruin their comfort or looks. I just want some traction!

Looking at your photo of the shoes above, they do appear to be the heavier outdoor/piping/marching variety. That wide welt makes a huge difference in the "clunkiness" of the shoe. I suppose I'm going about it all backwards, wearing a pair of ghillie brogues out-of-doors that were made for indoor dress occasions, and I should probably just invest in the piper style if I want to wear ghillie brogues where I wear them. But I really just like the slimmer, thinner, more flexible feel of these. I don't necessarily plan to ever wear them with long laces in an evening-wear setting, but I do think these would be the more appropriate style for that, rather than the thicker SUV-level shoes everyone sells these days.

Tobus, lovely looking, and comfortable, pair of brogues my friend. It would be a shame to 'ruin'such a good pair of shoes with rubber soles (I did....once!), but I understand the dilemma. Therefore, if I may, a couple of suggestions that may suit: for waterproofing (although not specifically mentioned), you can in fact polish the soles to prevent water seepage. As for traction, you could try some short shaft 'hobnails' which would afford grip - as well as giving you a sharp sound when walking around on hard surfaces! Just some food for thought - and of course, apologies if I am teaching you to suck eggs!

[Tobus]

Tobus, lovely looking, and comfortable, pair of brogues my friend. It would be a shame to 'ruin'such a good pair of shoes with rubber soles (I did....once!), but I understand the dilemma. Therefore, if I may, a couple of suggestions that may suit: for waterproofing (although not specifically mentioned), you can in fact polish the soles to prevent water seepage. As for traction, you could try some short shaft 'hobnails' which would afford grip - as well as giving you a sharp sound when walking around on hard surfaces! Just some food for thought - and of course, apologies if I am teaching you to suck eggs!

Well, just to clarify, I was only thinking of a very thin layer of rubber tacked on to the bottom of the leather soles, which (presumably) wouldn't add any appreciable thickness or change anything about the shoe, other than giving it a bit more grip on hard surfaces.

Hobnails would work for traction when out-of-doors, but they'd absolutely trash the 90-year old wood floors in my house. You'd find hobnail-shaped markings on my cranium where my wife beat me to death with my shoes if I did that!

[Blaidd]

Oooopzs😂😂😂

[tweedhead]

I like Dainite soles, thin hard rubber that looks and feels much closer to a leather sole than a chunky vibram tread. I've got a black pair of oxfords with Dainite, far more durable in all conditions than leather, better traction in dry weather and slightly improved wet weather traction outdoors but slippery on wet tile.

If your shoes are goodyear welted, its easy to have them resoled with Dainite. It isn't very thick at all as you can see from this picture:
dainite.png

[RichardtheLarge]

For the most part they will be seen as a little over the top for Black Tie. For the 1 kilt 10 looks thread I decided to wear ghillie brogues with diced hose for the Black Tie look and change to my buckle brogues for the White Tie. Here is the link:

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-attire-46888/

Recently I tried Argyll hose and buckle brogues with my black argyll jacket



A wee while ago we were invited to a friends home for a Black Tie gathering and I decided to wear the buckle brogues and argyll hose, this time with my Prince Charlie



This was my outfit for Burns Night this year almost the same as the above but with a horsehair sporran



I will let you decide what is right for you but think this illustrates that it can be done. Your mileage may vary of course. Also White Tie is the most formal you can go and is most definitely a step above Black Tie.

I am of this point of view. I like and continue to wear tartan hose and buckle brogues with black tie.

[Allan Thomson]

Has anyone ever contemplated that really Ghillie Brogues should only be in Brown & not Black (we'll leave out the question as to whether they should also be furry as some Carran's weren't)?

Also I find it curious how even the Buckled style of shoe doesn't really resemble what a traditional buckled shoe looked like? (I think there was one poster who had a proper set of 18thC style buckled brogues, but most of them look more like a woman's shoe).

[Ivor]

Oh no! I’ve only just got over the conventions about socks to be worn with highland dress and now the shoes seem to cause another controversy. I like the look of McMurdo’s buckle brogues but am I likely to be accused of cross-dressing as Allan Thomson is suggesting? I have never seen brown ghillie brogues either. So what is the solution. Is it just a pair of black shoes such as worn everyday or do you go for something more distinctive?
Should I worry about gender identity as seems possible or are there established dress conventions here to follow?

[Father Bill]

Timeout - please watch for Rule # 9

Rule #9
– This forum is not the place for the discussion of cross-dressing.

Father Bill for the Forum Moderators

[Ivor]

My apologies if I have crossed a line somewhere but was simply responding to a post.