How about these shoes?

[Andrew Breecher]

When I'm dressing up I wear regular brogues (polished shoes with perforations in a pattern, but laced up normally with a tongue, not ghillies), but otherwise Oxfords look fine. I don't feel the need to wear ghillie brogues.

Andrew.

[macwilkin]

Ghillie brogues are not the only "acceptable" form of shoes for Highland formal attire -- I wear a pair of black wingtips, highly polished, of course. Any dress shoe that you would wear with "black tie" is acceptable, not just ghillies. In fact, if you look at officers in the Scottish reigments, you will see dress shoes that are NOT ghillies, save for very formal occasions.

Did you know, btw, that the wingtip shoe with the decorative holes actually is based on the old Highland custom of punching holes in your brogues to allow the water to run out of them after you crossed a stream? That seems to be the legend, at least.

Cheers,

T.