You've got the tux, and it looks sharp. Now what exactly are you going to put on your feet? If you've put this much effort into your outfit, don't spoil the effect with the wrong shoes.

There are two main ways to go when wearing a tux:
1. Patent leather formal shoes
2. Dressy, black lace-up shoes

Tuxedo shoes and opera pumps
Patent leather shoes are the traditional footwear for formal attire. This means that tuxedo shoes, shoes literally designed exclusively for use with formal attire, fall into two basic categories. The most common is the tuxedo shoe, which is a patent leather model of plain toe, lace-up dress shoes.

As a second, but somewhat less common option, there is a style of patent leather slip-on shoes that features a quite plain design; these are commonly called opera pumps.

When patent leather is not an option
So there's no way you're wearing either of the above? Read on. You can often opt for non-formal shoes (meaning that the shoes selected are not patent leather). However, your shoes need to conform to these rules:

1. The shoes must be black.
2. They must have a plain toe design. No wingtips, split-toe models, or cap-toe models.
3. They must be able to take a high gloss shine.

Finally, the shoes paired with the tuxedo must look good in an anonymous way. If people notice your shoes at a formal event, then you've probably chosen the wrong shoes.