Let's talk about ghillie brogues again: the Highland perspective

[Tobus]

I couldn't agree more, Jock. For serious hiking (or "hill walking") around here, these shoes would be absolutely impractical. That's what boots and canvas leggings (gaiters) are for!

I did wear these ghillie brogues to a recent Highland Games, and while they were comfortable in the heat, they did allow a lot of sand from the pathways to infiltrate the tops of my hose between the laces. And the knee-high grass burrs in the car park were a real problem too, but that would be an issue regardless of which brogues I wore.

[CMcG]

...But do you think they're unsuitable for daywear (say, a Highland Games or other outdoor festival type occasion) due to the thinner hard-leather soles?

...

But is it a faux pas to wear these for daywear, especially on the casual/outdoor side of daywear?

Personally, I don't think I would want to wear any sort of shoes with thin, leather soles at an outdoor festival-type occasion, unless it was held on a dry, manicured field or I needed to be especially dressed up for some reason. I would rather opt for something with more grip and better support, which in and of itself doesn't preclude a nice pair of brogues, ghillie or otherwise. Taking the logic of practicality one step further, I would also prefer a debris-foiling tongue, unless it was on the aforementioned ideal surface. I know you have some nice spats to keep stuff out, Tobus, though that sort of defeats the purpose of a tongueless shoe

As for short lace ghillie brogues like yours being some sort of a faux pas with casual, traditional daywear, I don't think it would be as problematic as that. For me it seems more like an issue of practicality. If you were mixing traditional and modern casual, however, they might look a little out of sync i.e. trad kilt, hose, garter ties, short lace dress ghillie brogues, leather day sporran... and tee shirt

I haven't been to Scotland since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, though, so I'm giving my Highland influenced opinion, rather than the Highland perspective this thread is titled for.