black shoes brown sporran

**CollinMacD** · 11th June 18, 06:55 AM

To each his own, I would rather have matching leathers, and remain a "deidcated follower of Traditional Fashion". Black on black and brown on brown...never the twain shall meet. IMHO...cheers.

**Nathan** · 12th June 18, 07:40 AM

Originally Posted by CollinMacD

To each his own, I would rather have matching leathers, and remain a "deidcated follower of Traditional Fashion". Black on black and brown on brown...never the twain shall meet. IMHO...cheers.

“Dedicated follower of traditional fashion” where? Our Nova Scotia Highlanders wear brown sporrans with black, cap toed oxfords.

**CollinMacD** · 12th June 18, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by Nathan

“Dedicated follower of traditional fashion” where? Our Nova Scotia highlanders wear brown sporrans with black, cap toed oxfords.

That was my Grandfather's Nova Scotia, I was born in Boston, so guess that puts me as the "Proper Bostonian"

Its so funny you mention the capped shoes, I remember to this day my Grandfather's cap toe shoes and you hit the nail on the head.

**PatrickHughes123** · 12th June 18, 11:45 AM

Well, I wear black with black. I wear a black-haired sporran with a metal cantle, a full-dress sporran.

Which is okay because they make them, the kilt companies obviously want us to buy their black sporrans or their brown brogues.

Also, I am getting the impression from reading the comments on this thread that bonnets and sporrans being available in a wide range of colours, designs and patterns is a new thing.

In 1900, I bet you couldn't ask for a Glengarry in lovat green, lovat blue, orange, white or any of these. You would probably be laughed at and told that black is your whack!

**RichardtheLarge** · 15th June 18, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by kingandrew

My usual day sporran actually has a black front panel and brown side gussets, so it will always match.

But I've never had anyone comment on the leather colors if I wore a black sporran with brown boots or brown sporran with black shoes. The comments are always about the kilt or asking about my family connection to Scotland or what some of the accessories are.

Andrew

This is my experience. A kiltie will have an eye for the sporran and hose. Anybody else will just have an eye for the kilt.

**OC Richard** · 16th June 18, 12:53 PM

I just wanted to mention that I would never tell anybody else how they should dress.

I'm just explaining the tradition.

Some people like having an awareness of traditional Highland Dress. As they assemble outfits this awareness might influence some or all of their choices, perhaps unconsciously.

Actually everyone's clothing choices are influenced by tradition; no-one can escape it, unless they're raised as the only human on an island somewhere.

**Jock Scot** · 16th June 18, 11:09 PM

On the whole, we on this website tend to overthink this black shoe brown sporran thing to an almost obsessive degree. Personally,where my tastes lead me is to avoid light tan shoes or light tan sporrans at all costs.

**Liam** · 17th June 18, 06:55 AM

The black shoe/brown sporran and belt issue, I strongly suspect is a result of the military only issuing one pair of boots which were black!😉

**figheadair** · 17th June 18, 07:02 AM

As OC Richard has shown (post #1) the tradition pre-dates mikitary usage.

**RichardtheLarge** · 17th June 18, 07:43 AM

I think the salient point is that the traditional choice is to not care much (at all) about matching leathers or any other articles of clothing. After all, your average Highlander wouldn’t have the resources to own multiple pairs of shoes or sporrans. He’d wear whatever was available.

I happen to like shoes and sporrans in various shades, including light brown, and I also like the unified tan leather look. I can pretend that it’s traditional if I like, based on the odd historical drawing, but the truth is that I just enjoy it.