If the shoe fits...I probably selected it for you

"We have supplied shoes to Michael Flatley, Jean Butler (original Riverdance), Liam Harney (Folgers commercial), most of the Irish dancing schools worldwide, and we are the #1 supplier for Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. Look for the Irish dancers in the wake scene of the Hollywood feature film Road To Perdition. It stars Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, and it features some of our best customers including teachers and/or former dancers from the following schools in Chicago: Trinity, Mayer, Mullane, Dillon-Gavin, Hanna Sullivan, Dennehy and Eilish Sullivan. Tom Hanks actually bought a pair of Super-Flexi Jig shoes with very good intentions, but apparently he makes a better actor than dancer."

--from www.rutherfordshoes.com

Back when I was an Irish dancer (with Dennehy, incidentally), I also worked at a local Irish shop, which included helping other dancers select the right size and style of dance shoe. The shop I worked at was the No. 1 supplier in Chicago, so I did a lot of shoe fittings.

Noah and I recently re-watched Road to Perdition, which reminded me of this very compelling fact: I was the one who selected and mailed Tom Hanks' Irish dancing shoes. When Road to Perdition was being filmed, my boss called and told me I needed to get out a pair of men's Rutherford shoes and gave me the size, and I found out later that they were for Tom Hanks himself.

Let that soak in for a second. I have touched Tom Hanks' shoes--and Irish dance ones, at that. I imagine that's the Hollywood equivalent of touching the hem of Jesus' robe. Just without the divinity and miraculous healing.