Tuxedo Shoes

Styles | Colors | Patent / Faux Patent Coverings | Wide Widths | Narrow Widths

Tuxedo shoes are available in patent leather, faux patent and sometimes fabric uppers. Each of which may be available in either black, white, grey, ivory or two tone colors. This guide will help you understand the differences between the different models and which will be appropriate for different types of formal events. After reading this article, if you have any questions, feel free to contact us and we will do our best to provide you with the information you need to make an educated decision no matter where you choose to shop for tuxedo shoes.

Styles of Tuxedo Shoes

Pointed Tuxedo Shoes

There are a four basic style tuxedo shoes available. Pointed toe, round toe, rounded square and square toe. The pointed toe is the most classic of all tuxedo shoes. A pointed toe tux shoe has a very clean design. There's very little stitching and nothing to complicate the look of the shoe. In other words they are plain and classic looking. The only functional drawback for some is that they are snug by design so if you're looking for more room you'll love your other options.

Round Toe

The second is the round toe It's the roomier version of the classic fitting pointed toe and has all the same classic features as the narrow toe with the one exception of it being rounded and not pointed. Basically it gives you a little more room than the pointed shoe.

Rounded Square Toe

The third style is rounded square toe shoes. There are no added stitches or fancy frills on the exterior and you get a classic look again but you get the full roominess of the square toe which is next on our list. There's also a few other style available that are not "basic" in nature. They are Cap-Toe tuxedo shoes, penny loafers, Cap-Square-Toe and boots.

Square Toe

Square toe tuxedo shoes are the newest re-invention of formal footwear. They feature very roomy insides with tasteful stitching on the the top of the shoe's upper covering that gives the visual of separation between the sides and the top.

There's also a few other style available that are not "basic" in nature. They are Cap-Toe tuxedo shoes, penny loafers, Cap-Square-Toe and boots.

Tuxedo Shoe Colors
Black is the standard in tuxedo shoes but you'll also find white, grey, ivory and two toned versions. In addition, sometimes you'll find a textured material on the covering of the shoe that gives it more depth to its look.

Patent and Faux Patent Tuxedo Shoes
There are two basic coverings or "uppers" that are utilized for making tuxedo shoes. The first and best is Patent Leather. A patent leather tuxedo shoe is durable, long lasting, comfortable and for lack of a better term, the real deal. The other option is Faux Patent which is also known as PVC plastic. Don't let the word plastic fool you because polyester is plastic too and you probably own a great deal of poly clothing and they serve you quite well. Oh get ready for this, know that nice fabric called Microbifer? Well that's plastic too! We learn something new every day! There is almost no visual difference between the two coverings but once you look beyond the covering, there are very big differences. For starters the inside of a real Patent shoe is much softer, almost always leather, breathable and comfortable. The Faux patent shoes have just the unfinished side of the PVC, are not breathable and are comfortable for only short amounts of time.The other big difference is the bottoms. On the bottom of Patent tuxedo shoes, you'll likely find wood or leather. Most of the time leather. On the bottom of a Faux Patent shoe, you will always find plastic.

Wide Width Tuxedo Shoes
Wide width tuxedo shoes are available in almost every style, fabric and color but be careful because the "W" for wide is not EEE. The width difference between a regular or medium width tuxedo shoe is that of a pair of sneakers or boots. If you are a EEE or wider you do have options. The first is to know the difference in widths of different style or cuts of shoe. For instance if were to try on a regular classic pair of tuxedo shoes, you'll find that wide isn't wide at all. On the other hand if you try a square toe or rounded square toe tuxedo shoe in wide, it could be your fit. They are generally cut much wider. So for wider feet than a standard sneaker type "W" width, try the square toe or rounded square toe tuxedo shoes. The other option is to visit a cobbler or search the ends of the earth.

Narrow Width Tuxedo Shoes
For narrow tuxedo shoes the styles and options are not plentiful. There is a single narrow width tuxedo shoe available upon writing this article and its model number is 31020500N and it retails for about $149.99. You can sometimes find sales but it's a bargain compared to going to a cobbler.