When looking for a classic men's shoe, most of us have already looked at the various shapes and styles of shoes. What often immediately catches our eyes are the so-called "broguing". But what is that exactly? Let's take a closer look at it in this article.
If you look for a classic lace-up men’s shoe, you often decide between a pair of Oxford or Derby. The primary difference between these two models is that Oxford shoes have closed lacing, while a pair of Derby has open lacing.
So that’s that. Let’s get back to the brogue details. What is a brogue shoe? And what is the difference between the amount of brogue details?
Brogue is the decorative perforation on dressed shoes. These decorations are also called broguing. But the details do not define the shoe model. For example, an Oxford can have broguing details as well as a pair of Derby.
As a general rule to keep in mind – the more broguing, the less formal is a shoe. Of course, a pair of shoes with brogue details can be worn on both formal occasions as well to the office. However, a cap-toe Oxford with its closed lacing is still a more sophisticated choice for a wedding.
Different levels of brogue
Broguing can be separated into different levels of amount of details. There are four well-known levels of broguing:
- Full Brogue
- Semi Brogue
- Quarter Brogue
- Longwing Brogue
Origin of the brogues
This type of shoe originated in Scotland and Ireland. Shepherds and farmers used this special perforation as a functional feature. The small holes allowed water to drain from the shoes. Later, the shoe became the standard shoe of English workers in the countryside. At some point, the shoe reached the aristocracy, and the perforation was used more and more as a decorative patterning.
Brogue details on the MORJAS Derby
Our The Derby is, for now, the only model with brogue details in our collection. It’s a full brogue with two patterns— the “Lyra perforation” along the seams where two smaller holes and a more significant hole alternate. Together with a decorative broguing in the center of the toe cap, known as the medallion.
Let us know what you think about the brogue details on our Derby, browse through the collection below. Would you like us to add more models with brogue details? We’re happy to hear from you.
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