I bought a shoddy pair of brogans about 4-5 years ago and they've torn up my feet so damn bad, even with the insoles it makes them barely wearable. Without the insoles at the end of 150th Shiloh the ends of my big toes were numb for a month and a half. I've also had a shoelace dig into the tendon on the top of my foot/ankle so that sucked too.
If I have to recommend anything to anyone for any period of reenacting - it's that there are things that look good enough, things that are cheap for a reason (they suck), and there are things you shouldn't skimp on. The latter being your shoes/boots, your hat (and helmet if applicable), and your jacket.
Actually, speaking of things that are good enough, the black tie I use for German is actually a dress tie that I bought at the Marine Corps Exchange when I lived with my dad. The white collar binds I wore with my officer uniform were actually Marine collar binds that I cut to fit. Also, you can wear certain ACW shirts for WWI and WWII German. Same deal with the trouser braces.
