Made the leap: New shoes!

[mellody43]

My Dance Art - Diamant shoes are ready to be retired and put away for emergencies only! Now I have shoes that are less "ballroom" looking -- more "street" style.

I'll put up a link of my new shoes, but I'm not sure if it's "allowed" -- You can't purchase on the site so maybe it's okay?

w w w.salsapromotions.com/salsadanceshoes/womenssandals.html

The top shoe -- Experience Michelle, 2.5" heel.

*They are black leather with suede insoles *YEAH, now that I'm going sans stockings!* and have leather soles. I was worried about slipping but the owner of the shop danced with me in his studio and even with minimal "scuffing" they were not slippery at all.

*The larger heel base (twice the size of my Dance Art shoe heels) will really help with balance.

*I won't have to bring my shoes separately in a bag unless it's truly rough terrain, or it's wet outside.

*I won't have to resole the shoes! YEAH! The suede soles were fine but honestly, I could have bought a new pair of shoes with the $120 I spent resoling those suckers 4 times over the last year and a half.

I wore them out for the first time last night and other than some minor rubbing at the back of the ankle, they worked just fine! No slipping or anything! In fact, I've slipped out more with my old shoes/suede soles -- so leather soles might be just the thing for me.

Now any tips on how to keep them from staining my poor feet black when I wear them?

;-)

Melissa

[tj]

I wore them out for the first time last night and other than some minor rubbing at the back of the ankle, they worked just fine! No slipping or anything! In fact, I've slipped out more with my old shoes/suede soles -- so leather soles might be just the thing for me.

Melissa

And may I add... I enjoyed helping you break them in! :wink:

[mellody43]

And may I add... I enjoyed helping you break them in! :wink:

Likewise, I'm sure! *with Steel Magnolias accent and a curtsy*

[jamaicanspice]

My Dance Art - Diamant shoes are ready to be retired and put away for emergencies only! Now I have shoes that are less "ballroom" looking -- more "street" style.

I LOVE THEM!!! I WANT MY OWN SHOES TOO!!!!!! :cry: :cry: :cry:

[pygmalion]

These are nice. They look a lot like my tango shoes. My tango shoes are red leather, though. :wink: :D

[mellody43]

These are nice. They look a lot like my tango shoes. My tango shoes are red leather, though. :wink: :D

They are sort of tango-ish, aren't they? Maybe I will take tango next year ...

Jamaicanspice: You are so enthusiastic! hehe! Can you order dance shoes online somewhere or is shipping too difficult to where you are?

Melissa

[pygmalion]

How're the shoes treating you, mellody43? Breaking in nicely? 8) E.M's want to know. :wink: :lol:

[jamaicanspice]

These are nice. They look a lot like my tango shoes. My tango shoes are red leather, though. :wink: :D

They are sort of tango-ish, aren't they? Maybe I will take tango next year ...

Jamaicanspice: You are so enthusiastic! hehe! Can you order dance shoes online somewhere or is shipping too difficult to where you are?

Melissa

no it wouldn't be too difficult just expensive! lol

[pygmalion]

If you want to get shoes, you could just wait until you visit South Florida the next time. From what I hear, there are lots of nice places to get salsa and/or tango shoes. 8)

[mellody43]

How're the shoes treating you, mellody43? Breaking in nicely? 8) E.M's want to know. :wink: :lol:

WAY-ell --- I still have raw spots on the back of my heels. But last night I put some moleskin on the inside of the "heel loop" (for lack of a better word) and also put a bandaid on the boo-boos; worked pretty darned well! Yay! I'm thinking after a few more times dancing "with protection", the shoes will be broken in.

*yayyy*

Melissa

[jamaicanspice]

good suggestion pygmalion....I MAY just do that 8) :D

[jamaicanspice]

a few more spins and those shoes will be in tip top shape Mel :lol: they don't know who they are messing with :twisted:

[mellody43]

a few more spins and those shoes will be in tip top shape Mel :lol: they don't know who they are messing with :twisted:

LOL!

Funniest thing -- there was a funny dread-locked guy at the club last night -- he definitely had an accent and it's very possible he's Jamaican -- I thought of you (LOL) -- he said he was "digging my flava" and I said -- "I have flava?!"

hehehe.

Melissa

[jamaicanspice]

LOL! Funniest thing -- there was a funny dread-locked guy at the club last night -- he definitely had an accent and it's very possible he's Jamaican -- I thought of you (LOL) -- he said he was "digging my flava" and I said -- "I have flava?!" hehehe. Melissa

:lol: :lol: :lol: really now!! you should have gotten a name girl!! maybe I might have known him!!! (yeh right! like the chances of me knowing him is possible 8) ) :lol: :lol:

[Tasek]

I'm stealing your thread!!!

Bought new shoes today :) :)

Finally, lost count of how many shoe stores I visited, but over the last few weeks i've seen the inside of at least 20 stores (never knew there were so many shoe stores around), and today, thankfully, visiting yet another shoe store in my lunch break, I found a decent pair; black leather, not too extravagant a model, a price tag that doesn't make me faint with shock,
flexible, thin, hard leather sole (<------ that's the real trouble spot, 95% of men's shoes I saw had soles that were way too stiff/thick).

I just introduced them to my old dancing shoes, hopefully they'll get along, because they'll have to spend their downtime next to each other in the closet ;)

Already did some steps and spinning in the shoe store, but tonight they'll be taken out for their first serious dancing, let's hope they won't let me down.

[mellody43]

I just introduced them to my old dancing shoes, hopefully they'll get along, because they'll have to spend their downtime next to each other in the closet ;)

Already did some steps and spinning in the shoe store, but tonight they'll be taken out for their first serious dancing, let's hope they won't let me down.

hee hee. I'm afraid my old shoes will be jealous, so they are in my closet. *shhhh*

Good luck with your new shoes!

[Sagitta]

My dance shoes are dangerously slippery. I believe that the nap of the suede is gone. :( Time to get a new pair. Going to NY city in acouple weeks....

[MacMoto]

I bought my second pair of dance shoes last month! Mail order from Heavenly Dance Shoes. Thought about getting Blochs sneakers but decided to go for dance boots instead (www.heavenlydanceshoes.com/ladies_shoes/large/30400015.jpg -- except mine are in black leather with 2" spanish heels). I wear them when I go out in jeans or trousers (pants), and they look stylish -- much more to my taste than sneaks.

I still wear my old pair (www.dancewear-edinburgh.co.uk/images/55.jpg -- again, in black) when I wear a skirt or dress, but I think I'm more stable in my boots -- probably to do with lower and chunkier heels. I might get another pair of strappy shoes with heels similar to my boots and retire my first pair for emergency use only. Great thing about Heavenly Dance Shoes is they let you mix and match any shoe style, colour/material, heels and straps you want.

[Tasek]

A small blister on my left heel, and some irritation of the right heel, but otherwise the shoes held up quite good :D
Floor was in a terrible shape though so haven't got a real good idea about the slippiness (<-- is that a word??) of the soles yet, but this weekend i'll have a night on a good dancefloor so I can see how they handle there.

Now I just have to dig up some tape to tape off the blister when I wear them again.

[pygmalion]

Sounds like your new shoe experience, overall, was pretty good, Tasek. Cool. :)

[Tasek]

Well, if you don't count the shopping it took, being your average guy, shoeshopping is not exactly high on my list of fun things to do.

Never realised how lucky I got with my previous shoes, first shoe store I went into I asked for dance shoes, they had a nice classy pair, right size, good soles, and to top it off, on sale 50% off :)
They've lasted for years, and if it wasn't for the fact that by now they're so 'battlescarred' that they can't double up as neat shoes under a suit, I wouldn't have needed new shoes, they are still great to dance on, especially in low light conditions where people can't see how my shoes look ;)

[salsalawyer]

I ran into this guy selling kits to make any shoe of yours dance shoes. I don`t like the dance shoes out there for men. So i buy regular shoes and convert them. They are like $20 (US)


w w w.dancesoles.com

[SDsalsaguy]

What exactly does such a "kit" consist of salsalawyer? Also, just out of curiosity, what is it that you don't like about the men's shoes that are available?

[salsalawyer]

the kit is a velcro bottom for your shoes. You then get a walking leather bottom and a suede bottom for dancing.


I just haven`t liked the styles that I have seen. I just prefer regukar shoes. But I kinda want dance shoes for spinning, etc.

[Sagitta]

Well I checked the website out and theer is no place where you can purchase these one-off wonders.. :?

[DiAnAoN1]

I ran into this guy selling kits to make any shoe of yours dance shoes. I don`t like the dance shoes out there for men. So i buy regular shoes and convert them. They are like $20 (US)


dancesoles.com

What if the soles come off while your dancing :shock: but they do sound like a good idea.

[ThatHaitianSwede]

Hey I got a question for the guys out there

I have a pair of Blochs shoes and lately they havn't been holdin up to well. And I was thinking about buying a pair of shoes with leather on the bottom. The problem is I will prolly wear these shoes outside, even during the winter, and dance on a floor that's not all to clean. So I was wondering what you guys wear when you're not dancing in the ballroom?

So far I have checked out Bleyers, but they're rubber, and I've checked out the dancestore.com which had Aris Allen leather soled shoes. But I dunno if their raw or hard soled shoe is okay for wearing outside (just momentarily obviously as I get to my dance destination)

So any advice? Thanx

[Tasek]

Hard leather soles should have no trouble venturing outside, especially if it's just short walks between say your car and indoors.
Also not a problem with dirty floors, you can just brush them off afterwards. Only thing to be careful of (but that's with almost all shoes) is sharp things (e.g. broken glass) on the floor, avoid that.

[ThatHaitianSwede]

Alright thanx Tasek. I think I'ma get the Aris Allen ones. They seem promising in that case. :)