Ghillie brogues - why the dislike and resentment..?

[Tobus]

Something a little sleeker, dressier and sturdier is what I meant. Those are some boots from Johnston & Murphy from a few years back. The most similar pair they offer now are these:

https://www.johnstonmurphy.com/xc-fl...20Full%20Grain

Lots of similar options from any number of makers are available.

I like an ankle boot with a kilt in cooler weather on uneven ground, such as you might experience at Highland games, where that photo was taken. But to each his own.

Cheers,

SM

I am an enthusiastic proponent of ankle boots with the kilt for daywear, especially for outdoor events like Highland Games and festivals. They certainly have an established provenance during Victorian times, to which the MacLeay portraits (amongst other period paintings and photographs) can certainly attest. I would even be so bold as to assert that ankle boots quite handily eclipsed ghillie brogues during the most important evolutionary period of Highland attire, and deserve a place high on the list of traditional footwear.

The modern trend with boots, of course, is to be very chunky and tall. But a narrow, sleek ankle boot hits all the ideal proportions in my view.

I admit to being envious of Shaun's boots that he posted above when I saw him wearing them at the Salado Highland Games a few years ago. I had previously purchased some ankle-height brogued "country boots" from Samuel Windsor but felt they were chunkier than I wanted. Johnston & Murphy, sadly, do not offer footwear in my size. Somehow I stumbled upon Beckett Simonon, and have been very happy with their boots as well as their business model. They are hand-made to order (usually with a couple months lead time). I recently took delivery of my third pair of their "Medina" boots, which I wear to my office job with trousers as well as with the kilt.

Apologies for not having a photo of them whilst kilted, but these are my Beckett Simonon boots. I prefer a cap-toe with simple broguing at the toe & heel seams. But they do offer a full brogue boot (Nolan line) as well, if one is interested.