The classic English brogue is a shoe style that truly represents Northamptonshire shoemakers including Barker, Church’s, Loake and Trickers. Steeped in history, the traditional brogue shoe is recognised around the world with many shoemakers reinterpreting this iconic hole-punched design but the English brogue will always be referenced. The archetypal Country shoe, the beginning of the brogue originates from Scotland and Ireland where the leather shoe style was originally worn as an outdoor shoe that allowed for bog water to be removed when crossing wetlands.
From hardworking beginnings to a contemporary staple, the brogue is a versatile design that can be worn as a formal dress shoe or casual depending on the occasion and personal style. The modern brogues feature punching as an aesthetic detail and can be seen on a wide variety of shoes in countless style permutations. There are several different types of men's brogue shoes including the full brogue, semi brogue, quarter brogue and longwing brogue.
Made out of premium leather, the Barker range of Goodyear welted brogues feature in several collections including the Handcrafted, Country, Creative and Professional ranges.
For classic English brogues, the Country collection features several Goodyear storms welted Oxford and Derby brogue styles. The Charles, Calvary, Kelmarsh and Westfield brogues are stapled Country collection styles made from calf or grained leather on a full leather or British Dainite rubber sole. For a high lace-up shoes option, the Calder is a popular brogue boot made on the 460 last from calf leather and is available in several colourways.
Within the Archive collection, an exclusive range of reinterpreted historic Barker black brogue shoe designs features the Station Oxford brogue named after one of the Earls Barton village streets. Made on the 460 last, Station is inspired by the Barker Westfield brogue but features a durable Dainite rubber sole.
The Barker Professional collection offers an extensive range of formal shoes including the classic Albert and Alfred hi-shine styles which are two of the longest-serving brogue shoes in the Barker collection. Further brogues that are recommended in the Barker Professional collection include the Hampstead, Malton, Mirfield and Morpeth styles. The Turing full brogue boot from BarkerTech collection is a popular style as it features BarkerTech comfort technology combining traditional craftsmanship and padded comfort whilst maintaining an elegant aesthetic.
The Creative collection includes several recognisable Barker brogue styles with imaginative design features including the McClean Oxford brogue, made on the 443 last from premium calf leather with either suede shoes or paisley laser detailing. Additional Creative collection brogues include the Bailey, Valiant and Victor styles which are made from unfinished crust leather and hand-painted at the Barker Earls Barton factory.
Style-wise a well-made wingtips brogue can be worn formal with suiting and tailored legwear but looks equally as good when paired with denim jeans and/or chinos. Explore the full range of Barker Goodyear welted brogues online and in-store at Barker London flagship stores and stockists around the world.