bríg

Bróg is the Irish word for a shoe, a general term for footwear worn on the foot. It is used to refer to any kind of shoe, from everyday footwear to boots, in both speech and writing.

Grammar and forms: bróg is a masculine noun. The singular form is bróg, and the plural form is bróga. With the definite article, you say an bróg for “the shoe” and na bróga for “the shoes.”

Usage notes: The term covers all types of footwear. It appears in everyday language as well as in educational and media contexts. A common way to refer to a pair of shoes is the expression péire bróga, meaning a pair of shoes, with the plural noun bróga used for more than one shoe.

Etymology and status: Bróg is native to Irish and has been used across historical and contemporary texts. It has cognates in related Goidelic languages and remains a standard term in modern Irish for footwear.

Examples of related terms include bróga spóirt for sports shoes or sneakers, and phrases like an bróg beag for “the small shoe” (using standard adjective agreement). As a basic item of clothing, bróg appears in everyday Irish vocabulary and in discussions of fashion, commerce, and culture.