Tuxedo shoes - Narrow

[Seth C]

Hi all -

I am looking to purchase a pair of tuxedo shoes. I know the most "technically" correct is a patent opera pump w/ satin bow, but am shying away from this due to their lack of popular use these days. I am leaning towards a patent leather bal, or alternatively a calfskin bal with high shine. However, I wear narrow shoes (13B in AE 5 last), and am struggling to find anything patent leather in a narrow size, which may result in going with something like the AE Carlyle if I can't find anything. Do any of you know where to locate a more traditional formal shoe in a wider range of sizes other than Medium or Wide?

 

[armedferret]

I'm a 9.5B and just use my black AE Park Aves for formal occasions. Sure it's not an opera pump or patent leather, but with a mirror shine on the toe cap, it's a perfectly acceptable alternative.

I honestly can't really stand patent leather anything anyway, although I may have been ruined/turned off to it by all those years we were forced to wear them with our service dress blues, before they changed the regs to allow for non-patent shoes.

 

[Seth C]

I'm a 9.5B and just use my black AE Park Aves for formal occasions. Sure it's not an opera pump or patent leather, but with a mirror shine on the toe cap, it's a perfectly acceptable alternative.

I honestly can't really stand patent leather anything anyway, although I may have been ruined/turned off to it by all those years we were forced to wear them with our service dress blues, before they changed the regs to allow for non-patent shoes.

Thanks for the message and I don't disagree; I've done this before. But I am getting married and will probably splurge on something a little more technically correct.

 

[armedferret]

Congrats on the wedding, and in that case I'm in for suggestions in case there are any.