What shoes are acceptable for black tie?

Black tie has a short list of shoes that work — and a long list that don't. The rules exist for a reason: formal occasions have a visual language, and the wrong shoe breaks it. The shoes that belong: a patent leather Wholecut for the man who wants the definitive formal silhouette. A Black Cap Toe Oxford for the purist — clean, correct, impossible to argue with. A patent leather Belgian Loafer for the man who knows the rules well enough to interpret them. And for those who have earned the confidence, a Velvet Slipper — plain or embroidered — that speaks the language of formal dressing fluently. All of the above are part of the Cobbler Union Black Tie Collection. All handcrafted in Spain. All built for the occasion.