Brogue Shoes – Everything You Need to Know
Definition of Brogue Shoe Though the term 'brogue' also refers to an Irish accent and other regional accents from the United Kingdom, a brogue for the fashionable man is a dress shoe that features the decorative element known as broguing. The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes broguing (brogue: ing - noun) as ornamentation of shoes employing heavy perforations and pinking. Therefore, it stands to reason that any shoe with perforations, whether it be an Oxford, Derby, whole cut, or a Budapester, is a brogue. The original brogues were rudimentary shoes made with untanned animal hide; their distinctive feature was a series of perforations and serrations (broguing) of each piece of leather that was used in their construction. The purpose of these perforations was to allow water to drain from the shoes. The brogue shoe is a style of low-heeled shoe or boot traditionally characterized by multiple-piece, sturdy leather uppers with decorative perforations and serration along the p...