What’s the difference between a brogue and semi-brogue?

This may not be a question that has occurred to you, but it is important to make the distinction between the two. You may feel like you are not a brogue man, but that does not mean a semi-brogue will not be suitable. They look quite different.

The brogue is an iconic shoe design. The term ‘brogue’ refers to the punching of holes or perforations into leather. It has nothing to do with the shoe construction. You can have Oxford, Derby and monk shoe brogues with their differing lacing systems or buckles; it is the punched holes that make them brogues.

Classic brogue
A classic brogue has punching on the toe, around the sides – known as the wing-tip – and the heel counter.

The roots of the classic brogue stem back to the muddy fields of 16^th century Ireland and Scotland, when punched holes were added to allow water to drain out of the shoes. This is a far cry from the formal shoe it has become today but it has still retained a country gent feel, especially if you choose a brown or tan brogue style with a rubber sole, such as the tan grain Kendal. However, a black brogue is an entirely acceptable alternative to the black Oxford in most instances – see our leather soled Gosport black brogues as an ideal example – while our leather-soled tan Carnaby (above) look great with a navy or grey suit.

Semi-brogue
A semi-brogue just has punching on the toe cap and rear counters. You can even get a quarter-brogue where there is a single row of punching on the toe-cap. The half brogue was first designed and produced by John Lobb Ltd. in the early 1900s to offer customers a shoe that was more stylish than a plain Oxford, yet not as bold as a full brogue. To me, the lack of perforations makes them feel like a sleeker shoe and a little more business-like. I like the Dunkeld, Sloane and the Morecombe for this very reason.

Two-tone brogues
There is another category we should not overlook…the two-tone spectator brogue shoes. These see calf blended with suede, tweed, or canvas to striking effect. These shoes and boots suit a range of occasions and circumstances; it depends on what style you choose. While our Farnham style would look great at a wedding or a regatta, our bestselling tweed-blend Exmoor boot would be more suited to kicking through leaves in the autumn sunshine.

In summary, I feel it would be churlish to dismiss the brogue if multiple perforations are not your style choice. I would urge you to take a look at the subtlety of the semi-brogue or even the stunning effect of two-tone, because you just might come across a style that catches your eye.