Ancient Ghillies

[Mairsial MacÙr'ille]

You are right I shouldn't include the Jacobite as part of my supposition, to be honest I don't really like them, but I thought that this kind of shoe is less formal than a brogue, just like a Jacobite is not appropriate for many levels of formality. Anyway, I would like to have a pair of soft ghillies.

[duke_19_62]

https://www.medievalmoccasins.com/index.html Check the Photo Gallery.

[Mairsial MacÙr'ille]

Check the Photo Gallery.

Thanks, interesting pictures

[Chas]

I wear mine for Scottish Country Dancing.

[Jack Daw]

I'm not much for the Medieval Moccasins as far as reintroducing the original footware to the kilt. The punched out layered leather veneer is just not period accurate. These Pucker Toe Mocs from Arrow are more for that purpose. Frankly, a shoe or boot without an arch support is not all that comfortable to me.

http://www.arrowmoc.com/pt.html

[jhockin]

If you wish to wear a more historically correct ( and more comfortable) shirt, try this pattern:
http://www.neheleniapatterns.com/eng...glishsite.html

[Benning Boy]

I think it's a misnomer to even call the type of footwear illustrated in the first post Ghillies. I know the site the picture in the upper left corner was taken from. The site makes it clear that the shoes were once said to be a Viking style shoe, but are now called Iron Age shoes as they are representative of what was worn in Iron Age Europe, not what was worn just by Vikings, let alone Picts. I've been reading about ancient footwear on-line since the late '90s. I'm certainly no expert, but am informed. My impression is the "Ghillie" has largely become accepted as traditionally Scottish by way of the SCA and Ren Faires, and those who market to participants. Of course, Vikings did settle in parts of present day Scotland, and may have introduced the "Viking" style shoes, and they may have come to be common in the Highlands, and eventually have come to be what are now called ghillie shoes, but, The pampootie, cuaran and rivelin styles could qualify as being traditional Highland footwear every bit as much as the ghillie style, and all could have been introduced by colonists and invaders. The pucker toe moccasin cited above is a good representation of footwear worn by Celtic peoples, and especially in the British Isles. In Europe quite similar shoes are sometimes referred to as bog shoes in the modern accounts. The shoes mentioned would offer all the lightness and ease when dancing claimed for the ghillies

The ghillies in the pictures are probably best worn with an Leine, or some sort to long tunic/shirt and and a tartan wrap, or great kilt, as seen in illustrations made in the late 16th or early 17th centuries. They certainly shouldn't be associated with a Jacobite shirt, or be consider as of that era.


That being said, I have a pair of ghillies, or Iron Age shoes, made of very stout leather and I wore them today in an effort to get them better broken in. I think the leather may be too heavy, as they don't want to mould to my feet.

ETA: The footwear seen in the pics at the top of this thread cannot properly be called brouges. They don't satisfy he definition of brouge, and the design predates the brouge style shoe.

[Mairsial MacÙr'ille]

Thank you all for the information!

The footwear seen in the pics at the top of this thread cannot properly be called brouges

Where is the picture of a shoe which has been called brogue here?

[Leoghan]

they are very comfortable , i have a pair that i wear during the summer when out hiking or going to Renaissance faires or the like.

[Calgacus]

*Oops, deleted*