Wedding shoes recommendations

Getting married in October. What shoes do you guys recommend for black tie events? I rarely wear a suit and when i do i almost never need black shoes. But it would be nice to have a really nice pair of blacks to pull out when needed. I would like to keep it under $500

Comfortable shoes. Seems you will be in them all day long. Brands, I would go with either Aldens or Allen Edmonds

These are nicer than the usual mentioned PAs, $347 on sale


http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline/producti_SF7613_1_40000000001_-1_

I have some Bostonian's that I got from Mens Warehouse a while back, they're pretty comfy...

mhdena said:

These are nicer than the usual mentioned PAs, $347 on sale
http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline/producti_SF7613_1_40000000001_-1_

Click to expand...

I've heard good things about AE's Independence Line, as a competitor to Alden. FYI, that's the Harrison model if you can't read the tag in the image. That said, although the construction is superior I'm not sure how I feel about the squarish toe.

If you are going to go black-tie (that is, a tux) then you want either a patent shoe or a black cap-toe with a nice, high gloss polish. Allen Edmonds' Park Ave. or Harrison are good here. Johnston & Murphy also have a few different choices for black cap toe balmorals for a bit less money. You sacrifice some quality and longevity though.

The key though, if you don't go patent, is to really learn how to get a good polish on them. It's pretty fun once you get it down. I recommend getting some Saphir Renovateur and their black Medaille D'Or wax polish.

Highly polished black cap toe balmoral oxfords or opera pumps.

Congrats on getting married. I am an old school purist so patient leather shoes is what I wore. But today I probably would wear high polished shoes that are comfortable. Johnson&Murphy makes customs that are fairly affordable. Buy them now and break them in at home. Comfort is the key. Oh and buy good socks. Your comfort is one of the few things you can control.

Something that allows you to take off like a rocket and dodge this bullet. J/K. Congrats!!

$500, go ahead & buy Alden's & they will last you the rest of your life. Captoes

Thanks guys!
Do you think its still an absolute must that i have full patent leather shoes with the tux or can i do a high polish on the toe/heel/sole edge on some more uniform black leather shoes? I just can't imagine ever wearing a strictly formal shoe.
Like what about doing something like this:

I do have some Saphir natural (clear) cream and wax polish coming (renovatur is sold out everywhere right now) that i'll test out on some brown shoes i have. I'm pretty sure with some time and youtube i could get a mirror polish on something.

Try something simple but stylish.

Mercurial wingfoots.

I'm fortunate enough live in the west, and have for 45 years. Out here, even a tux can be worn with the good pair of Justin's.

Justin ropers have been worn in every venue I can think of, by true Westerners.

I'd go for the Allen Edmonds or Alden captoes. Classic styling and they will last many years. Regular leather, not patent, so that you cna wear them to events other than your wedding.

Best wishes for a long, happy, and fruitful marriage.

Agreed with above. Non patent leather that you can get much use from. Highly polished for the wedding.

if you really want a purely limited use black tie outfit, get some patent pumps.

Two words....Patent black.

I've worn my Tony Lama Ostrich Quill boots to a couple weddings. I wasn't in the wedding though.
but they do look good with a suit.

really liking these Alden's and then just put a mirror polish on the non-flexing parts:

I love my AE Park Avenues, but those are for business suits. For more formal occasions:

Black tie (semi-formal): black patent leather
White tie (formal): black court shoes

If your priority is comfort and maximum post-event wearability, then go with the high-polished PAs. If you're looking to do the "right/traditional" thing, there's no substitute for patent leather at a black-tie event.

In either case, congratulations on the upcoming nuptials.

boostdemon said:

Thanks guys!
Do you think its still an absolute must that i have full patent leather shoes with the tux or can i do a high polish on the toe/heel/sole edge on some more uniform black leather shoes? I just can't imagine ever wearing a strictly formal shoe.
Like what about doing something like this:

I do have some Saphir natural (clear) cream and wax polish coming (renovatur is sold out everywhere right now) that i'll test out on some brown shoes i have. I'm pretty sure with some time and youtube i could get a mirror polish on something.

Click to expand...

That looks good but I don't so much like the mirror polish strictly limited to just the toe cap. You should blend it into the rest of the shoe, and put a high (but not mirror) shine on the whole deal.

As for the patent vs. polish debate, I think patent might be too much. Unless you're some uber rich family, a "black tie" wedding will probably have a fair bit of informal elements. The current style is that a highly polished dress shoe can be even better than patent leather because it shows that you actually put effort into the outfit, instead of just buying a shoe.

Really though, if you don't already own a quality pair of black dress shoes, don't waste money on patent leather. Far too specific for most people.