Ghillie brogue laces help

[kiltlad82]

I spent New Years at a party in Inverness and it was my first chance to wear my full kilt, brogues and prince charlie. My Scottish friend showed me how to tie my brouges and he said they needed to be as tight as possible to stop them falling down, which I did but throughout the night I had to keep pulling them up - the attached photo shows me (white sporran) with my laces fallen down to illistrate what I mean.

Anyone have any advice on how to keep the laces up? I have a burns supper at the end of the month and I don't want to trip on them when dancing

Many thanks

[Zardoz]

Since I don't own any I'll avoid giving advice, but it looks to me like you are lacing them a little high on the leg. Here's some tips I googled up.

http://www.bagpipejourney.com/articl..._brogues.shtml

[davidg]

There are different ways to tie your laces. Your friend is using a "high" tie which is a look I don't like anyway, apart from the problems of falling down

It is perfectly acceptable to tie them at the ankle as your picture shows. If you aim low and tie them a fraction tighter you will look fine. The bow and tassels can either be at the front or on the outside. I think front looks better

There are some good You Tube videos around showing you the different ways to tie ghillie laces. Pick whichever way works best for you

[ohiopiper]

I wear brogue for piping gigs and tie them pretty low on the calf.

Here's step by step what I do, since I don't know how to summarize and give you a good word picture.

Pull the laces tight as if you were tying a regular shoe and them cross them three or four times.

Bring them around opposite sides of your calf (same height as the top twist, not spiraling up the leg) and twist them another three or four times.

Bring them around opposite sides of the calf, again at the height of the top twist, and tie in front.

Keeping them snug and low avoids having them loosen and drop.

[LitTrog]

If I wear ghillies instead of some other shoes, I don't really care for the laces climbing my leg, so I opted to just get regular laces and avoid the problem all together.



If you prefer the longer laces, aim low on the leg. Looks better and will help them stay up. And, as I understand, the tassels typically end up either in front or on the outside of your leg.

[Paul Henry]

A lot of us here, are not too keen on the long Ghillie laces, but even if you like them they could be tied much lower and they won't slip as much.

Just a note if I may, it seems that you kilt is being worn very long, it's good to see a bit of knee between the top of the hose and the bottom of the kilt, and by wearing the kilt higher you won't see any of the white shirt peeking out below the waistcoat, and usually a buckle isn't worn if you are wearing a waistcoat and it stops the waistcoat sitting flat.

[pascs]

I like the Ghillie brogues but tie the laces lower as per the link in the 2nd post and never have any problem of them becoming loose even after a few hours of dancing

[The farqcom]

Having worn with and without the long laces, I have found that if one snugs the laces up and ties a square knot at the top of the shoe before twisting and wrapping the laces, it keeps the shoe tight on the foot (reducing shoe rub on expensive hose!) and helps keep the laces up.The problem I had with tight leg wraps is it tends to make the legs sore after a long day or evening

[Father Bill]

Having worn with and without the long laces, I have found that if one snugs the laces up and ties a square knot at the top of the shoe before twisting and wrapping the laces, it keeps the shoe tight on the foot (reducing shoe rub on expensive hose!) and helps keep the laces up.The problem I had with tight leg wraps is it tends to make the legs sore after a long day or evening

Okay . . . just a question of general interest to myself for our knowledgeable members: If there are the kinds of problems that The Farqcom lists (and I doubt them not!) how did the laces evolve to this particular shape and style? What was their genesis and inception?

[madmacs]

I'll throw in my way if doing it...

6 half twists (which would be 3 full twists)
Round the back of the leg, single cross over, then back the way the lace came (makes a smaller crossing and helps it stay in place)
Back at the front a double knotted bow

Never had any problems with them falling down or needing adjustment... and never needed to tie them so tight as to cut off blood flow...