dance sneakers bad for knees?

[Pat]

I got myself a pair of Bloch dance sneakers. They're super comfortable, but after a couple hours my knees started hurting because the soles have more friction in spins.
Anybody else experience this? Is there another brand that works better? For now I'm back to my good old suede shoes.

-Pat

[SDsalsaguy]

Heya Pat, Blochs are my favorite, but you're right that they'll never be as frictionless as suede bottoms... just the way things go I guess. :?

[As an aside, I was just up in Seattle fo a bit and had a fun time out at Vitos last Wednesday night and Century on Thursday.]

[Chris Stratton]

I thought there were some made with suede soles... anyway, could you convert yours? Of course then you couldn't wear them outside (lots of collegiate ballroom kids seem to get them as knock-around shoes for limited wear outside and for limited practice before putting on real shoes)

[pygmalion]

Yup. There are dance sneakers that you can custom order with suede or smooth leather soles. I don't think Bloch makes them, though.

[pygmalion]

Oh, btw, there are ballroom sneakers, too, Chris. They have a chunky heel and look kind of like practice shoes. I've never tried them, but they're out there.

[Angelo]

Merlet sells a dance sneaker with suede on the bottom for around $52-55 USD which is much cheaper than the ballroom sneakers I've seen which run about $90-100 USD

[setsuna713]

I've found that sometimes, on a really bad floor, I can put peds (you know the little stocking things that you use to try on shoes) on the bottoms of my blochs and I spin a whole lot easier (I too have bad knees so it's importnat to me too). Also, if you really want to spin and don't care what they look like, you can put duct tape on the bottom (that's what I used to do for Lindy before i found out about peds). I hope this helps!

[Sagitta]

Some cool info here. never heard about peds and merlet before. :( Thanks. :) Keep it coming.

[Vince A]

I'm on my fourth pair of dance sneakers, and every one of them settled down and the rubber became a little more harder with time. I can spin as well in my dance sneakers as well as I can in my suede-bottomed shoes.

However, I've noticed that my latest and new pair - the Bloch's - are taking longer to settle in (softer rubber compound???) . . . maybe more street wear to get the tread down somewhat, then they'll be OK . . . I hope, or it's back to the old ones!

[Lita_rulez]

I wear Sansha rather then Bloch, but it's just a personal cosmetic choice.

The last pair I had was just rubber and you could add the suede botom for the ball of the foot if you wanted.
The one I bought this summer has an in-pressed suede on the bal of the foot. Well, it'll wear off and then I can go back to putting on the extra layer when I want to (wich is about never).

[ratherbdancing]

I got myself a pair of Bloch dance sneakers. They're super comfortable, but after a couple hours my knees started hurting because the soles have more friction in spins.
Anybody else experience this? Is there another brand that works better? For now I'm back to my good old suede shoes.

-Pat
I'm really really surprised to hear that dance sneakers are hurting your knees. Usually I put my sneakers on when my knees or feet start hurting. I have had my sneakers for a LONG time and spinning has become easier and easier the more i wear them and the longer I have them.

[Vince A]

I'm really really surprised to hear that dance sneakers are hurting your knees. Usually I put my sneakers on when my knees or feet start hurting. I have had my sneakers for a LONG time and spinning has become easier and easier the more i wear them and the longer I have them.
Ditto!!!

[Pat]

Good - I'm glad to hear that stickiness of the rubber gets less over time. I'm going to wear them on bad floors until they are worn in enough for regular use.

It's fun to switch between sneakers and suede - I find that my dance style is noticeably different. Sneakers is more dynamic, flashy, street style; suede feels like a smoother, more under-stated style.

[KiwiMambo]

I wear flat Sansha Jazz shoes. They are almost like a sock.
For long workshops I wear dance sneakers. Bloch's are nice. Now I wear Capezio Toggle Dansneaker - DS10. They are in between Bloch's and Jazz shoes as far as lightness. They are only $37 at allaboutdance.com.

As far as adding leather sole to sneakers, I saw these at the Palm Springs Salsa event this weekend. I haven't tried them, but Al and Edie seem to like them:

h t t p://dancesoles.com/

[tasche]

I'm really really surprised to hear that dance sneakers are hurting your knees. Usually I put my sneakers on when my knees or feet start hurting. I have had my sneakers for a LONG time and spinning has become easier and easier the more i wear them and the longer I have them.
Ditto!!!

The rubber bottomed dance sneakers are bad for your knees for the simple reason that your feet will rotate at a slower rate then your body and you knee is usually the weakest link and will take all the brunt of the twisting out of shape