The brogue has truly come a long way. After originating as the footwear of the rural populations of Ireland and Scotland, it became the preferred hunting shoe of British nobility. Nobles soon started wearing brogues during their leisure time, but the opulent perforation patterning remained primarily reserved for men. In the course of the 20th century, the elegant ornamentation conquered the world of women’s shoes as well, and soon spread from there throughout the rest of the world. Ever since, the ‘Scottish perforation’ along the edges of the shaft has served as the namesake of this fascinating shoe model and constitutes its characteristic form to this day.
