Dance Shoe Information -- Index

[pygmalion]

There are several threads which give lots of information about dance shoes -- how to select them, where to buy them, how to care for them, favorite styles. You name it. Have fun shoe shopping! :D

Cleaning Dance Shoes (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=1071)
Practice Shoes (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=969)

Dancing Shoes and the Right Size (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=953)

Leather Sole Shoes? Should I Do It? (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=1046)

Shoes and Foot Care (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=858)

Help with Dance Shoe Sole Issues (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=718)

Swing Dance Clothes (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=714)

Ladies -- Favorite Latin Shoe (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=1391)

Buying Dance Shoes (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=1908&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15)

Dance Shoes and Your Feet (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=985)

Oh My Aching Feet! (http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=986)

[Pacion]

Question about dance shoes but not sure if it falls in with any of the above threads :D

What do the ladies have to say about heel caps/heel covers? Do you wear them? Are they any good? Don't they come off? I have a pair of latin shoes that I love (haven't worn them much as yet) and am looking at ways to preserve them for as long as possible, other than leaving them in their box :lol:

[pygmalion]

I've never tried the heel protectors, Pacion. I think samba ajr has. I'll see if I can find the reference in one of the existing threads.

[Purr]

I use the heel protectors on both my Latin & smooth shoes.

With the Latin shoes, the impact with the floor is only slightly different with the protector. The particular shoe I like is Supadance, with a double buckle, and wrap around strap.

With the smooth shoes, the impact with the floor took a lot of getting used to. That's because of all the heel leads, with are on that protector. Plastic just doesn't glide that well across the floor. The best smooth shoe I've found is also Supadance, with a closed toe and buckled strap across the instep. I don't need the clear straps to keep from stepping out of my shoes.

I've heard that heel protectors are available with a suede bottom, but I've not tried them.

[pygmalion]

Thanks for the tip (no pun intended LOL) Purr. The smooth shoes you're talking about -- are they a relatively new style, introduced maybe two years ago, with a somewhat pointy-looking toe box (showtime style #1012)? Are those comfortable? They're advertised as having a round toe box, but the shoes look like toe-scrunchers. What do you think?

[Purr]

That's exactly the smooth shoe I wear, and I find it very comfortable. My toes are not scrunched up at all. :D

The main issue with that shoe is correct sizing. The Showtime representative at the competition where I bought them told me that particular style doesn't size exactly like the other smooth shoes, and you might not wear the same size as in your other dance shoes. I normally wear a 5 1/2 English size in my Latin shoes, but for this smooth shoe I wear a 6 1/2 English size. Go figure. :?

I started out wearing the Supadance 1035, closed toe with buckle ankle strap, in a 5 1/2 English size, for smooth. It was the most unconfortable shoe I'd ever wore, and I could barely last for more than 20 minutes on the dance floor before my feet started cramping up. :cry: I talked about this with the Showtime representative, and she had me try on the shoe in a 6 and 6 1/2 English sizes. The shoe didn't fit right with either of those sizes either. And she told me that model is one of the most popular smooth shoes they sell.

I think the thing to do is to try on as many styles as possible, to find what fits you well and is comfortable to dance in. And, I wouldn't be tied in to thinking that you wear the same size in each style of dance shoe. :)

Another shoe I like is the one of the Freed practice shoes, although I don't know the style number.

[pygmalion]

Thanks. I'll check out those shoes. They're gorgeous. 8) And you wouldn't be talking about Roma practice shoes, would you? I'm seriously in love with those. :D

[Purr]

Yes, that's the practice shoe I wear. They are very comfortable (and I wear them in a 5 1/2 English size, just like the Latin shoes). I'm just not convinced the quality of the suede bottom is as good as the Supadance shoes; it seems like they've worn faster than they should have.

[pygmalion]

Yes, and mine wore unevenly, too, which is unusual for me. But the shoe is so comfortable, and looks great with pants.

[Purr]

The Showtime representative sold me a replacement suede bottom, for when I want to replace it. I just haven't gotten around to it yet. :oops:

[Purr]

I'll agree, too, the shoe looks good with pants. 8)

But, it's not so good with skirts or dresses. It's not the fashion statement I generally want to make. :lol:

[pygmalion]

My practice uniform is stretchy (tight) jazz pants and a close fitting T-shirt, so I'm good to go. :D

[hopelessly_addicted]

I've got a question for those of you who order dancing shoes online. How can you buy shoes without trying them on?? I'm not sure if this has been posted before but I just cannot find answer for this.. Thanks in advance!

[Patapouf]

One suggestion is to go to local store to try them on first. The dance supplies stores here usually have them, but with limited brand/pair/style. I go there and try out various brands to find the right size for the brand that I'm looking for, and always sticking to the same size for that particular brand when I order online. That works very well for me so far.

[hopelessly_addicted]

One suggestion is to go to local store to try them on first. The dance supplies stores here usually have them, but with limited brand/pair/style. I go there and try out various brands to find the right size for the brand that I'm looking for, and always sticking to the same size for that particular brand when I order online. That works very well for me so far.

Right. Thanks for the advise! The only thing would be that sometimes the sizes for different styles under the same brand vary also :?

[pygmalion]

Yes, they do vary even within a given brand, sometimes. If you have a nice dance shoe store (which I know a lot of people don't) you might also ask the shoe dealer for recommendations of other styles not in stock. :?

[myladyfae]

wow, my first post here, and I'm gonna ask a really embarassing question! :oops:

My boyfriend and I just recently began taking classes for fun. We're both really enjoying it, but it's become PAINfully obvious that I need dance shoes! (we were practicing salsa yesterday and a simple side step sent me flying about 2 feet!)

I've got a problem tho :? I am a very tall woman, about 5'11". And as tall women often do...I have big feet! More specifically, I have long feet, although they are not unusually wide at all. I wear about an 11.5 regular to uhm, narrow...

As a result, I don't know that I've EVER owned a pair of shoes that fit well! But I certainly am going to want one if we continue with these classes. Okay, this has been long :lol: . My question is, what should I do? I've seen a few places online that do custom shoes, but I'm nervous about paying that much for shoes I can't try on first. I don't mind spending the money, as long as I get a well fitting shoe!

And all the custom places online have less than lenient return policies.

can anyone recommend somewhere to go? or at least someone with a reputable custom shop? Has anyone else had to buy custom shoes?

...help!

[Sagitta]

Welcome to df myladyfae!! Nothing embarasing about your question as after all we come in all shapes and sizes. Have you reda through the threads on this topic yet?

[cl5814]

Welcome myladyfae, great to have you around.

I am tall too (2 inches shorter than you) but have short,wide feet so i know how difficult it is to find shoes for dancing. I have relied on practice shoes, they are more forgiving. I have ordered my shoes from capeziony.com but there are lots of sites.

[myladyfae]

thank you for the replies :D

I have read through all the shoe threads here. Unfortunately though, I haven't seen any of the ones mentioned that carry custom shoes. If anything the threads I read made me MORE nervous, since they stress trying shoes on first, and I think that will be impossible for me.

Seems that most well known suppliers cut off at size 10, and I'm larger than that! :cry:

I've actually done quite a bit of googling, and have found people looking for wide withs, but not for unusual sizes. Which seemed odd to me, since I was certain I couldn't be the ONLY giantess who dances! :wink:

ps: cl, thank you for the link, but sadly it looks like that ziony place must be gone now :cry:

[myladyfae]

cl, do you buy custom shoes, or are you able to find your size at a supplier?

I found a place called http://www.steponedanceshoes.com that seems to do customs for a reasonable price...but I'm somewhat leery about buying from an online shop without at least finding some sort of testimonial to them first!

[cl5814]

Myladyfae,

Dance shoes should fit differently than normal street shoes. They need to fit tighter than street shoes. This creates a bigger problem with trying on dance shoes. I'll keep my eyes open for bigger size shoes.
The capeziony.com site is still good, the biggest size they seem to carry is 10.5.
I try on shoes till i find something that fits me. I have mail ordered lots of shoes and send back 99.9 % of shoes because they don't fit me.

BTW, you are not allowed to post active links to websites, you need to post without the http://www in the website name to make it a "passive" link.

[kansas49er]

I buy my shoes from Party time shoes in Tulsa. Extremely helpful staff, either in person or over the phone. My regular dance shoes are diamentes with a chromed sole. Works great and feels really good. I know Diamantes make larger sizes in some styles. Check out their site
parti-time.com/catalog/index.php. As I understand it, this is not an active link, so is okay?

[elegance]

I'm not sure if this will help but I notice you can get International Dance Shoes in up to a British size 8.

...I know that you are supposed to go 2-2.5 sizes smaller than your American size to find your British size, but my street size is 9-9.5 and I have never bought anything larger than a 6 for dance shoes, and I can even go 5.5 for latin (my foot is between narrow and regular also).

So it's a long shot, but the 8, especially in an open toe, may fit.

[Medira]

I'm wondering if there's anybody in the Toronto area who knows of a good retailer of ballroom shoes. My old tapless tap shoes are only going to get me so far and I don't want to order online without knowing what the shoe is going to fit like and feel like.

[Patapouf]

cl, do you buy custom shoes, or are you able to find your size at a supplier?

I found a place called http://www.steponedanceshoes.com that seems to do customs for a reasonable price...but I'm somewhat leery about buying from an online shop without at least finding some sort of testimonial to them first!

Have you ordered any shoes from the website yet? I'd love a pair of custom made dance shoes so that it'd fit me perfectly well! I ordered a pair of custom made AT shoes, closed toe. I never bought closed-toe shoes before because I was afraid that they'd pinch my feet. And every pair that I tried on hurt my feet. My custom made AT shoes are actually the first pair of closed toe shoes that I can dance for a few hours and not feel that I need to chop my feet off and put them in freezer!

[delamusica]

Wasn't there a thread around here on the best shoes for wide feet? I've been trying to find it (I need a new pair!) but have been unsuccessful - anybody know where that is?

[pygmalion]

Oy! My brain is in DF overload. :oops: :lol: But yes. There was a thread like that. :doh: Where was it? Thinking ... :?

[pygmalion]

LOL. Just for the record, searching for "wide and feet" doesn't work. 1222 matches. :shock: Guess I'd better search my memory banks. :lol: :lol:

[delamusica]

Take a break, Pyg! You alone do not have to answer everybody's questions. :wink:

[delamusica]

LOL. Just for the record, searching for "wide and feet" doesn't work. 1222 matches. :shock: Guess I'd better search my memory banks. :lol: :lol:

Yeah - neither does "wide and shoes" or "wide and feet and shoes" - just for the record. :)

[cl5814]

Search for "wide width shoe"

http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=4302

http://www.dance-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=5204

[delamusica]

ahh - thanks!! :notworth:

[elegance]

:oops: :oops:

I'd like to go the other way and ask for suggestions for a standard shoe that would work for a narrow heel but regular foot width.

I've done a search but can't find anything pertaining to standard shoes. It's not as difficult to find shoes for latin anyway because of the open toe.

I was thinking that a round toe box would probably help. Do certain brands have narrower heels?

Any suggestions appreciated!! Thanks.

[chachachacat]

:oops: :oops:

I'd like to go the other way and ask for suggestions for a standard shoe that would work for a narrow heel but regular foot width.

I've done a search but can't find anything pertaining to standard shoes. It's not as difficult to find shoes for latin anyway because of the open toe.

I was thinking that a round toe box would probably help. Do certain brands have narrower heels?

Any suggestions appreciated!! Thanks.
I have a narrow heel also. I used to wear Supadance satin pointy court shoes and I can't say they were comfortable! To me, satin is never comfy. I have less experience with different brands in Standard as opposed to Latin shoes.
But, I must say*, I love my particular model of round toe Capezio courts in leather. The lines look like Audrey Hepburn. And they're the most comfortable closed toe dance shoe I've worn. I wear them for social dancing. They seem to fit my foot well, so they might fit you. And you might be able to try them on if you find a big Dance Supply store.

*though many disagree about Capezio.

[elegance]

thanks chachachacat!

I've never tried capezio but I will look out for it. I was thinking maybe a shoe with a strap would also help, even though I don't like the look so much.

[Lrn2dnc]

Had a student ask me if I had any suggestions on where to go for dance heels above 3 inches.

At a comp a while ago, I remember seeing a new company that seemed to specialize in or at least prominantly promote higher heels.

So far this is all I've found

http://www.championdanceshoes.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=73

Any one with knowledge or experience on this?

[pygmalion]

Hi Lrn2dnc. Welcome. :D What are you looking for? Any source for high heeled shoes? Or the specific company that specializes in them? I don't know. But I have a few vague recollections of seeing very high heeled shoes as one of the options in a couple places. I wouldn't mind spending a little time googling for dance shoes. 8) I just need to know what you're looking for. :)

[pygmalion]

And oh yeah. What kind of shoes. Super high heeled tango shoes are pretty easy to find. I'm assuming you're looking for Latin shoes. Is that right? 8)

[pygmalion]

Hmm. Dance shoes with higher-than-three-inch heels aren't easy to find. You're right. The only place I've found so far requires a special order. Elegance Dance Shoes (at dancehappy.com) has two 3.5 inch heels available by special order; they'll make any shoe in any heel or fabric for you. But I didn't see 3.5 inch heels in stock for any of their shoes.

[pygmalion]

Hmm. Dance Naturals has quite a few styles listed on their website as available in 3.5 inch heels. I haven't yet been able to find a distributor that stocks them, though. Anybody know?

Edit: Was the picture you posted a Dance Naturals style? There are quite a few more with heels like that. You know, that student of your might send an email to Dance Naturals and see if there's a distributor near you that stocks the super high heels in a style she likes. Try their website dancenaturals.it 8)

[Lrn2dnc]

Thank-you pygmalion, and thanks for the links.
You're on the money with the 3.5 latin shoes. That's what she is interested in.

Makes me feel bad that you found them so easy, after I spent over 4 hours googling. But I appreciate it that much more.

Last Q, do pics of the shoes come up for you on the dancehappy site?

They don't for me. The other site was fine though.

Thanks again,

Lrn2dnc

[pygmalion]

Don't feel bad. I did some googling, true. But I started out at sites I already knew from previous online searches. So my finding things quickly doesn't really count. :wink: :lol: And yes. I can see pictures of shoes on the dancehappy site. I've never had a problem with their website. Hmm. :?

I know that backbaydancewear.com also has quite a few elegance shoes. Their selection is not quite as big as dancehappy, but their prices are sometimes better. So there's another option you might like to try. 8) :)

[smiley-28]

hi!

pygmalion - you're been so informative on a lot of shoe topics!!! thanks...not sure where i should put this question...

i've tried on lots of shoes and have decided to get elegance...lots of padding on front and good for narrow feet....so i am planning to custom order a pair (tan fabric with N3 heels...not sure if i should get F3 heels) and wanted to it get right the first time...wanted to check with you guys as i am still a newbie to ballroom dancing....whether 2 straps is better or 1 strap....looking for which one looks better....which would professionals wear/prefer?

here are the two styles....royale and royale 2S OB...sorry i couldn't post the pictures, but here is a url to them....
http://www.chezotic.com/shoes/ldyopen.html

another view of the 2 straps
http://store.yahoo.com/dancehappy/ellatroy2sob.html

thanks in advance for your help!
smiley-28

[cl5814]

Smiley,

Wear what you like. One or two straps doesn't matter. Which do you prefer ? Maybe go to a social dance and talk to some followers about shoes.

[smiley-28]

thanks, cl5814.....usually i am definitive on what i like or don't like...just couldn't decide this time :? i've tried on the single strap in the store....however, no 2 straps available to try on! :(

[Sagitta]

thanks, cl5814.....usually i am definitive on what i like or don't like...just couldn't decide this time :? i've tried on the single strap in the store....however, no 2 straps available to try on! :( Welcome to df. I'm a guy and so I cannot speak from personal experience, but hopefully other df members will chime in too.

[smiley-28]

thanks, sagitta

[skwiggy]

A friend of mine is involved with one of the local college clubs, and is looking for an inexpensive and versatile solution for buying a first pair of shoes for the beginners. Most of them can only afford one pair of shoes, and that one pair will need to be worn for practice, social dancing and competition. The specific questions are:

1) Whats a good, but affordable shoe for beginning dancers that want to be able to dance both latin and standard in a competition? For men? For women?

2) Does anyone know anything about the quality of Star?
ww w.stardanceshop.com

[skwiggy]

*bump*


Buehler? Buehler? Anyone? :-/

[Twilight_Elena]

People, bad news about this thread: due to the new DF system, the links are all down. Maybe we could all help in finding the thread URLs agian and making things better? I'm sure a mod could give us a hand with this. :D

Twilight Elena

P.s. Will start digging myself when I get enough time to breathe.:?

[Joe Reinke]

Can you please let me know which brand makes the best men's soft ballroom shoes.

[Leggie]

People, bad news about this thread: due to the new DF system, the links are all down. Maybe we could all help in finding the thread URLs agian and making things better? I'm sure a mod could give us a hand with this. :D


Seconded!

[gokche]

Hello!

I am looking for a fexible and light salsa shoes which I can find and get via internet. I have checked some web sites e.g supadance and allaboutdance etc, but I could not find salsa shoes, all of them have flare heel and for ballroom latin dancers. Do you know where I can find and get best salsa shoes on web? Thank you so much in advance... Gokce

[traceyplatt]

thanx for the info

[Whirling Dervish]

I am wondering if someone could help me decide on a brand of shoe. I'm only 120 pounds but am very hard on shoes--I go through the best very quickly.

Of course I would like to pay a fair price, but expect to pay more for shoes that will last awhile.

Thanks!

[pygmalion]

Court shoes? Latin shoes? Any particular fitting issues (i.e. narrow foot, wide foot, high arches, etc.) ? The more information you give (sometimes, anyway,) the better feedback you receive. :cool:

[Romein]

what are the hardest types of shoes to dance in?

[Whirling Dervish]

I was thinking Latin shoes. Those seem to be the most delicately built. I have a wide foot but it's small, no arch problems.

Sorry it took me so long to get back to this thread--thanks for the help.

[tangotime]

--I am very well aware of what the benefits are ( being a coach and examiner ) that was not what I posed.--Q, again, have any of you ladies come across anything that will substitute. and by the way, when I,m dancing socially, even with all my training in both standards, I go on auto pilot ( even in bare feet ! ) Think we tend to sometimes to not relax , and enjoy the moment .Am not advocating abandoning tech. Classic e,g.-- was adjudicating many yrs ago, when of my fellow judges asked me, during a break to dance Samba ( she was a former champion ), and we just shuffled around the floor and had a good time ; and I can tell you now, she was not wearing dance shoes .

[wooh]

Updated links for everything except "Buying Dance Shoes" (couldn't find a thread that seemed to match) and a few more for good measure:

Cleaning Dance Shoes (http://www.dance-forums.com//showthread.php?t=872)

Straight vs. Flared Heel (http://www.dance-forums.com//showthread.php?t=13146)

Shoes: How long do they last? (http://www.dance-forums.com//showthread.php?t=8625)

Practice Shoes (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=789)

Shoes again: practice shoes (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=10643)

Dancing shoes and the right size (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=773)

Cleaning suede bottoms (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=2794)

Regarding heel protectors (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=6808)

Resoling shoes (http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=4265)

Brush for cleaning soles (http://www.dance-forums.com//showthread.php?t=10317)

Dance shoes and your feet (http://www.dance-forums.com//showthread.php?t=805)

Oh my aching feet! (http://www.dance-forums.com//showthread.php?t=806)

Good substitute for dancing shoes for a first time learner? (http://www.dance-forums.com//showthread.php?t=1671)

Leather shoe soles, should I do it? (http://www.dance-forums.com//showthread.php?t=857)

Shoes and foot care (http://www.dance-forums.com//showthread.php?t=687)

Help with dance shoe sole issues! (http://www.dance-forums.com//showthread.php?t=560)

Swing Dance Clothes (http://www.dance-forums.com//showthread.php?t=556)

Ladies- favorite Latin shoe? (http://www.dance-forums.com//showthread.php?t=1168)

Dancers and ugly feet (http://www.dance-forums.com//showthread.php?t=3291)

Shoes for Beginners (http://www.dance-forums.com//showthread.php?t=14589)

Resoling shoes (http://www.dance-forums.com//showthread.php?t=4265)

Can one of the mods edit the original post to change the links? If you have trouble with cutting from my post, I've got the code for all the links saved on my computer, just let me know!

[katq]

Those are extremely helpful links.

[earline]

Hi everyone, Could someone tell where I can find latin shoes with flared heels in 1 1/2 inches?

Thank You.

Earline

[waltzgirl]

Welcome to DF, earline!

I think you'll have a hard time finding a flared heel in 1 1/2 in. Heels at that height tend to be cuban heels or just shorter versions of a regular heel.

You might check the Celebrity web site. They have a wide choice of heels, including something they call a "Monet" heel, which is the closest I know of to a flared heel at that height. You can special order any of their shoes with any of their heels.

[earline]

Thank You Waltzgirl I will check Celebrity

earline

[newbie]

Does someone know sites where I can buy sneakers? I've found some but the sneakers they sell look more like clowns shoes to me (and they probably blink in the dark)

[Mawmaw]

Capezio has a few styles that are pretty cute. We sell a lot of the pink ones to ladies. There are a lot of different styles available these days. Freed has one that looks hip hopish...pretty cool.

Mawmaw

[melissalive33]

what is the differences between modern and jazz shoes because i used my jazz shoes for modern as while

[brownie1217]

My 9 year old son wants to take jazz and tap and my question is, is there a difference in girls and boys jazz
shoes for beginners? If so, where do I find them and what size do I
get? Do jazz shoes usually run true to size? Also, where do I find
boys tap shoes? Is there a difference between girls and boys beginning taps? What about size with taps also?:confused:

Any help would be appreciated.