Bespoke Ghillies - still possible?

[CypherMagnum]

Hello, all you fine folk. I'm often a lurker and seldom a poster, but I'm in a quandary and thought some of you might be able to help.

I've been looking for a few years now for a pair of ghillie brogues to wear to formal functions (Burns Nicht, Tartan Ball, etc.) - something suited for dancing, and that evokes more of a vintage look. I've found the current offering of stock, off-the-shelf ghillies to be clunky, boxy and just plain unappealing for formal settings. Let's also say I've saved up a bit of coin, and have set it aside for this purpose.

I'm looking for something along the lines of the lace brogues below (from Anderson '36 catalogue)

Anderson1936Gbrogue.jpg

and in the general style and weight of these below

Gbrogue.jpg

All that assumed - are there any cobblers left in the world that do this kind of work? Has anyone had something similar made, or known someone who has?

Thanks very much for your advice!

-Caleb

PS - I know there are some strong opinions here about ghillies and whether or not they belong in a formal setting - I believe you are entitled to whatever opinion you have, but am hoping you'll set that aside in the interest of helping me out. ;)

[Tarheel]

I do not know a cobbler that still makes shoes but I have one question. Would the shoes with more rounded toe be better for dancing? I feel one could get a better grip for the dance floor if the ball of the foot has more contact area.

Good luck with your quest and hope to hear the results are positive.

[uncle remus]

I did a quick search on line and came up with peppe shoes

peppeshoes.com

It says he makes custom shoes. don't know the quality nor pricing. he does have wingtips on display so I would think he could make gillies

I wish you well in your endeavor. let us know how it turns out.

thanks

[Tobus]

If it were me, I'd start with a maker who already makes and understands ghillie brogues, and ask if they can make a pair with thinner soles that are more like an opera pump, or whatever descriptor suits your goals. For example, Thistle Shoes make a nice quality ghillie brogue with Goodyear welted soles. As long as you find the upper to be to your liking, it wouldn't hurt to ring them up and ask about a custom pair with thinner sole. Or simply buy a pair and have any cobbler replace the sole to whatever you desire.

It does appear that most makers these days are doing rugged/outdoor-style ghillie brogues with thick rubber soles and metal plates like one might expect a piper to wear. And the vintage brands/makers appear to be long gone. You might try looking around the web for a used pair of older ones that still have some life in them. For example, I managed to find some older ghillie brogues with hard leather soles that are thinner than most modern brands. They were made by "Keltic - The Scottish Shoe", which is apparently no longer in business. I don't lace them up my legs, but choose to wear them like a typical brogue. These are probably still thicker than you're looking for, but again, you might be better off starting with an existing upper and simply having someone replace the sole rather than trying to find someone who will make a custom pair from scratch.

These are my vintage Keltic ghillie-brogues for reference.

[RichardtheLarge]

Let me start with a blanket warning...bespoke shoes are usually incredibly expensive. With that said, I’ve seen similar brogues from Carmina shoemaker and Crockett and Jones, sometimes as off the rack or MTO models (less expensive options than bespoke).

[Graeme H]

If you are planning on going down the route of true bespoke for your shoes, I would suggest that Foster & Son on Jermyn Street in London are the best people for the job given the traditional nature. As Richard correctly pointed out, a proper pair of bespoke shoes will be expensive (around £2500) and will take at least 6 months to make. They will however, as long as they are cared for, last a lifetime and so can be viewed (as a bespoke suit) to be a very good investment. How often you will wear them is another matter entirely.

There's a lot of buzz in the bespoke world around a company called 'Vass', a shoemaker that makes MTO and bespoke shoes in Budapest to an extremely high standard, all hand welted and stitched. From what I've seen their product is definitely up there with the likes of F&S, Edward Green et al, at a significantly lower cost. They have a concession at Cad & The Dandy on Savile Row FYI. Unsurprisingly, I've not seen a Ghillie from them but I have no doubt that they could accommodate you. A particularly nice touch is the bespoke pair of shoe trees that they supply with every order. The website is vass-shoes.com

I'm consistently seeing their work on the instagram feeds of bespoke tailors, shirtmakers and cobblers who hold them in very high regard, although I haven't seen their work in the flesh.

[CypherMagnum]

I do not know a cobbler that still makes shoes but I have one question. Would the shoes with more rounded toe be better for dancing? I feel one could get a better grip for the dance floor if the ball of the foot has more contact area.

Good luck with your quest and hope to hear the results are positive.

Indeed, a rounded toe can be more forgiving for certain types of dancing! I'm not suggesting the toe be exact as in the walnut/tan-colored pair I included - I was more pointing to the open instep area and the way the ghillie lacing was done. But yes, not looking to wear winklepickers while spinning the wife 'round on the floor

Thanks for your question!

-C