The brogue is one of those shoes where the decorative element which is the perforated pattern along the edges and seams does something that seems counterintuitive which is that it actually makes the shoe more casual rather than more formal despite looking quite ornate. This makes brogues genuinely versatile in a way that a plain oxford or derby isn’t quite. A full brogue or wingtip is casual enough to wear with jeans but smart enough for most office situations. A semi brogue sits comfortably in smarter territory without being as severe as a plain cap toe. We’ve found dark brown brogues to be one of the hardest working shoes you can own because they go with navy and grey suits beautifully and work equally well with chinos and darker denim for something that looks very put together without a great deal of effort.