Quote Originally Posted by MacMillan of Rathdown View Post
Fortunately CMcG is now back on his medications...

These shoes may be fine for wandering around your local Scottish Games with a dazed, "I've been coshed on the noggin" look, or when pumping gas (petrol to us refined types) down at the local 7-11, but they are strictly OUTDOOR CASUAL shoes.

Here's why:

Take a look at the very thick commando soles (okay, if you are out with the lads and want to go commando, these are the shoes to wear). Aside from packing up with dog poo, rocks, mud, and even more canine crap to drag into the house, they are totally unsuited to dancing. (Unless of course your idea of dancing involves stomping to the beat of a tom-tom or the deafening blare of technocrap in mosh pit, in which case you can stop reading now.) Dancing is one of the hallmarks of a civilized gentleman, especially when kilted. On the dance floor these shoes would display all of the grace and elegance of a hippopotamus on a muddy river bank.

And why is that? Simple. The soles would stick, rather than glide, on the dance floor. Yes, dancing is all about "tripping the light fantastic", not stumbling about the dance floor like a drunken sailor mauling a taxi dancer. Ruth Ettings fans will know that I mean.

And besides, to quote O.J. Simpson-- "Those are ugly-*** shoes..."

Need one say more?
Oh MoR, I knew I could count on you to take the bait I do so enjoy the perspective you bring to these discussions and the invective you use to express yourself with.

First of all, not all the shoes pictured have commando soles, though even the smaller, rubber Doc Marten's soles are still probably thicker than what you recommend.

Second, you obviously abhor modern pop music and the styles of dance associated with it but, at events which you obviously don't attend, that's the way it is. I've seen some major dancefloor disasters from people trying to rock out or get jiggy with the kind of shoes you advocate. Given that the physical embodiment of music in dance is deeply rooted in culture, I think your description applies to certain times and places, but not to others.

Third, there is a question of style vs. tradition. Perhaps if someone showed up at a more traditional formal event with chunky dress shoes, they would be considered uncultured. And if someone showed up at a more young and hip formal event wearing opera pumps or cap toed toes, they might be considered stuffy and out of touch with the times...