As with most objects that are designed, shoes possess features that are functional as well as those that are aesthetic. Sometimes features that are aesthetic in nature begin as functional—and such is the case with broguing. What’s broguing? Those little decorative holes and serrations that you sometimes see on shoes (like our Toronto Brogue and Calgary Wingtip!) are what is being referred to when we discuss broguing.
The word “brogue” came into the English language via the old Gaelic word for shoe, “bróg”, which can be traced back to “brók”, the Old Norse word for “leg covering”. Coincidentally, there’s also an Irish accent that is referred to as “brogue”, and the word is often used to describe any strong regional accent, and specifically those from Scotland and western England. The kind of broguing this Shoeology entry is concerned with also originated in the UK. The Irish and Scottish countryside is full of wet, marshy bogs. The people who work in this terrain have to deal with soaked footwear on a daily basis. In order to help their shoes drain—and, crucially, dry overnight quicker—they added perforations to allow water to escape. To create this drainage system, they punched holes in the leather of shoes using a tool, usually made out of steel, referred to as a "brogue punch". Broguing a shoe is very much an art form, one that takes years to perfect.