Brogue-Shoe
/ˈbroʊɡ ˌʃuː/noun
A sturdy leather shoe traditionally decorated with rows of perforations and associated with Irish and Scottish footwear.
Did you know?The perforations were originally practical: they helped water drain from shoes worn across Ireland’s and Scotland’s damp terrain before becoming decorative fashion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Celtic (proposed)
Proto-Celtic
*brōgā
“A reconstructed Celtic term possibly meaning shoe or covering; its deeper origin is uncertain.”
Old Irish
Old Irish
bróc
“Shoe or covering for the foot.”
Middle Irish
Middle Irish
bróg
“A shoe.”
16th Century
Irish / Scottish Gaelic
brog / bròg
“Shoe; the source of English brogue in the footwear sense.”
16th–17th Century
English
brogue
“A rough or heavy shoe, especially one associated with Ireland or Scotland.”
Modern English
English
brogue shoe
“A leather shoe characterized by decorative perforations and often wingtip designs.”