What are brogues?
A brogue shoe is any shoe that has perforations on it. But there’s more to it than that.
A Quick History Lesson
Believe it or not, brogues weren’t always destined for the boardroom. Originally designed for outdoor purposes, they were developed in Scotland and Ireland in the late 16th Century. The perforations that now decorative adorn the leather were initially crafted to allow water to drain from the shoe if the wearer were to traverse a wet, boggy Highland marsh. Nowadays, those hole-punched details are purely to add a bit of personality to the aesthetic – although still a solid choice for country footwear, we recommend you steer well clear of any bogs.
Join the Dots
There are three main fastenings for the traditional brogue.
Oxford
Defined by its V-shaped vamp (front section of the shoe) with the shoelace eyelet tabs stitched beneath it, the Oxford is sometime called a closed front.
Derby
In contrast to the Oxford, the Derby style shoe fastening is defined by its front. Sometimes referred to as a Gibson, the eyelets are stitched on top of the vamp.
Monkstrap
Distinguished by their strap and buckle, the monkstrap fastening replaces the laces.
Top Notch
Wingtips
A wingtip is any shoe that has a ‘W’ shape defining the toe cap. 
Full Brogues
A full brogue combines the W design of the wingtip with the perforated patterning most commonly associated with the term ‘brogue’.
Longwing brogues
The ‘longwings’ of the longwing brogue are effected by the ‘W’ shape design, which begin with the toecap and run the full length of the shoe, meeting at the centre seam to the heel.
Semi-brogues
Sometimes known as a half-brogue, the semi-brogue is characterised by perforations on the toe cap, as well as decorative perforation in the centre of the toe cap. The distinction with a wingtip is the absence of the ‘W’ shape design on the toe cap.
Quarter-brogues
Quarter brogues feature perforations along the edge of the toe cap, though have none decorating the toe cap itself.
Now you’re well-armed to flex your sartorial muscles and start showing off your technical knowledge of the brogue – we hope we cleared a few things up for you! You can view our full selection of brogues for men, women and kids on our website.
