Tying Ghillie Brogues

[Lachlan09]

I noticed a recent closed thread on tying ghillie brogues which didn’t have many posts. I hope you will humour me now as I couldn’t reply before.

When my dad, brother and I were outfitted back in 1970 by Gordon Stobo of Highland House, Lawnmarket, Edinburgh, he showed us a way of tying ghillies which we used ever since and even today I consider very smart and attractive. If you have your own ghillies, you only need to set up the laces the first time.

First, you match up your laces and adjust the criss-crosses, so that one lace-end is longer than the other. It doesn’t matter if it’s the inner or outer foot which is longer, as you twist them around later. You will become adept at it. I used to keep the inner side lace-end longer. Then you tighten the criss-cross laces etc.

Now you do a half-hitch in front of your ankle, nice and neat, as if you’re going to tie your laces in a bow. Now you lift up your lace-ends and keep them sort of close together. Now you twist these long laces around each other 5 or 6 times, so they form like a two-ply rope, then separate the two long ends and pull them apart slowly and firmly. This ensures your ‘cable twist” stays firm and not sloppy. Now you bring both laces around behind your ankle, making sure you keep the line horizontal round to the back of the ankle. Then another half-hitch and twist the laces round each other again, 2 or 3 times at the back of the ankle. Now bring the laces back round to the front, again keeping them horizontal and close to (but not on top of) the other horizontal line. A small gap between the 2 lines is okay. Now with laces at the front once more, without further half-hitching or twisting, bring both laces to the back of the ankle again, keeping the line close to the upper line you made earlier. Now hopefully, the bit of lace-end behind your outer foot is shorter than the one at your inner foot. If not, make one twist behind the ankle so it is so. Now bring the longer lace forward around your inner ankle and right round to the outside of your ankle, above the bone. Bring your other lace from the back of your ankle to meet it over your outside ankle bone. Now, tie your bow and with God and a following wind, you should find your bow and loose ends are well-proportioned, equal and not too short or long !

Note - the above depends on thin, long laces.