Formal Buckle Shoes

[Woodsheal]

A minor point: "ghillies", with their carefully cut out tabs, are NOT synonymous with the moccasin-like pampooties or cuarans, which are basically rough ovals of rawhide (often with the hair left on) simply drawn up around the feet with thongs. There is no "tailoring" of symmetrical tabs with pampooties/cuarans:

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Our own Matt Newsome says, or implies...if I am reading his correctly...that ghillies (as we know them) were "invented" for pipers.

I might add just for the entertainment in looking at a similar impasse, that there is, according to the most respected and foremost shoe historians in the world, NO documentation and NO evidence for heels (as we know them) on shoes prior to the third quarter of the 16th century. About the time of kilts, actually. Yet pseudo-historians, less than stringent re-enactors, and Hollywood, insist on depicting knights in heeled boots, or early 19th C. ship's captains wearing riding boots at sea.

Might as well be wearing a wristwatch.

Spot on.

[Matt Richards]

I'm interesting in getting a pair of the men's buckle shoes made by Jas. Townsend & Sons. Has anyone had any experience with them? How do they stack up against the Fugawee shoes? How is the fit -- do they run small or large as far as standard shoe sizes go? I see that Townsend only do straight last -- how hard are they to break in?

[Downunder Kilt]

I have a pair of the Jas Townsends straight lasted and find them fine to wear.
When I ordered them I told them my shoe size in Australian sizes and they knew the size to send. When you first get them and set the buckle they feel snug, after wearing them just once I found that I had to reset the buckle tighter as they do loosen up somewhat (about a quarter inch adjustment in my case) As for the straight last, yes it does feel weird a first, but I find no discomfort when wearing them. One word of caution, they are not a dress shoe, as in dancing pump. They are an outdoor shoe and are as heavy as good quality leather soled ghillie brogue. I also had the local cobbler put rubber heal soles on mine. I have also spit polished the toe area on mine without too much hassel

[Matt Richards]

Excellent! I'm definitely looking for something that will work for outdoor wear.