Shoe issues

[happypoo]

I recently bought a pair of Ray Rose ladies latin shoes, and though at first they were perfect, I think they're a little bit loose now. Not only that, but I have an odd problem where whenever I put my weight on my heel, like if I am stepping back, the heel tends to lean toward the outside of my foot, so it's at an angle with the floor. I've never seen anyone else's foot lean, and I don't know whether it's because I have weak ankles, or because of the shoe. What should I do? :( I just got my shoes!

[BlueBambue]

You probably bought your shoes a little too large. The shoes do stretch out a bit.

I think the problem with the heel turning is partly because of the loose shoes, but mostly because you're either stepping wrong or you don't have enough foot strength.

[NUdancer]

I think the problem with the heel turning is partly because of the loose shoes, but mostly because you're either stepping wrong or you don't have enough foot strength.

I used to have this same problem..I'm still fighting it! I think it's officially called overpronation, when you step to the outside of your feet. My guess is (if you're lik me) that the soles of your normal shoes probably wear to the outside as well.

You can buy some heel inserts at Longs or CVS that might help with the size problem a little bit, but that will definitely contribute to rolling out. The best thing to do is ask your instructor for some strengthening exercises - it's actually a combination of inner thigh and ankle strength, and also sometimes how much you do/don't cross your own track when you dance forward and back.

You'll want to be especially careful because as you wear a shoe a lot, it will start to mold to the shape that it's normally danced in, which means that eventually your shoes are going to work against you as you try to correct the rolling-out habit. You probably want to try and start correcting ASAP so that you can wear your new shoes without worrying about messing them up!

This is all pretty much verbatim from my latin coach about a year ago :P At least it's something you can fix (unlike being too short, or having one leg that's longer than the other, or something like that ;o)