ballroom beginner w/ballet background - please help with shoes!!

D

Dansrchick

New Member
I am relatively new to Latin (been taking classes for a couple months and am getting ready for first contest soon), but do have a decent amount of classical dance training (and am currently taking ballet 3-4x per week). Until now, I have been taking Latin classes while wearing character shoes, but I feel like I'm fighting my shoes and can’t really feel the floor well enough, so I would like to get something better that I can use for both practice and competitions. Unfortunately, I don’t live near any stores carrying a decent selection, so it looks like I am going to be ordering online, hopefully through a store with a good exchange policy in case they don’t fit! Which brings me to my question – what kind of shoe would be a good starting place for a ballroom beginner that already has some foot strength and control from other training? I’m used to placing my weight on the balls of my feet and have relatively short legs, so I’d like some height to try to lengthen my leg line. I’d also like something flexible so I can really feel the floor and be able to fully point my toes. The character shoes have to go!

Any guidance is greatly appreciated, as I am pretty new to all of this ballroom stuff!!
 
Yes, you are right, the character shoes have to go.

The Dance Naturals brand are famous for their flexibility.

Supadance makes a few Latin sandals with the designation "supaflex" which
I found to be very nice.

I think Elegance brand might make some that are basically shankless, but
I'm not sure about that (it's a dim memory from somewhere for me).
 
Welcome to DF Dansrchick, you will find a wealth of information on shoes in our past threads.

But if I was to give you a short synopsis of my experience with latin shoes (and I am also a modern/ballet trained dancer), it would be as follows.

The major brands I have worn are; International, Supadance, and Dance Naturals.

It is very important to try the different brands and models because each seems to work better with different types of feet. Sizing is a matter of personal preference and a bit difficult because most of the major brands are sized in European sizing. Sizing is also impacted by how far you want your toes to be near/over the front of the shoe.

If you are looking for flexibility, look for a company or model of shoe that is known for it's flex. Also, note that latin shoes with more of a "solid" front part of the shoe normally tend to be less flexible than the strappy type.

I tend to buy only from the major brands because I want to make sure they are well built with a good steel shank through three quarters of the shoe for support. I dance a lot and have fairly strong, but problematic feet in heels. I go through a pair of heels every 6 to 10 weeks.

By the way, I wear International Dance Shoes - the Melissa model (superflex).
 
I also wear the International Melissa because they make (and Showtime stocks) a very narrow width shoe. I would recommend ordering from Showtime as they have a good return policy - but most places will not take back shoes if there's any visible wear on the suede sole...so I would just recommend trying them on at home and not an unfamiliar floor that might cause the soles to get mucky.

Good luck. If it's any consolation, I probalby spent about $700 to find the right shoe!

Welcome to the forums!
 
latingal said:
I go through a pair of heels every 6 to 10 weeks.
Click to expand...

:shock:

how much dancing takes place in those 6-10 weeks that you wear them out so quickly?

and when you say "wear out", what do you mean? have heard this before, and i've still got my original latins, so am wondering... are they shot & i don't know it? or am i just not dancing enuf... <g>
 
by the way, dansrchick... welcome & good luck... looking forward to seeing you around!

there's a lot of good info on this forum... and some great people. :)
 
Mine become too loose in the front, and usually the heel cup, too, within 3 months. I have a bag of about 10 pair that I'm going to see if I can get tightened up at a cobbler (well, I'll start with one to see how it works). The sad thing is there's really plenty more wear left in the rest of the shoe before they're too loose on me.
 
Thanks everyone for your responses - it's a bit overwhelming trying to choose online, and these suggestions are really helpful (as are the sticky topics about shoes)!

A few more quick questions now that I've done a little research - I saw that T-straps are good for stability; do they impede flexibility like the solid vamps do?

Also, I've seen from the earlier posts that leather can be better than satin for practice, but these will be my competition shoes as well. Can I wear leather for competitions? If so, is gold leather instead of the matte beige-ish color okay or is that just not done?
 
For latin I wear Ray Rose (best shoes ever!) and order them from World Tone Dance.

I've found that T-Straps are a bit less flexible, but it's really about what fits you best. Some people prefer the support and will sacrifice stability. In the end though, your feet and ankles will have to be strong enough to create nice lines in any shoe. I danced ballet, jazz, tap for 11 years before ballroom and you use your feet differently for latin. It's best to train in a good shoe to learn things correctly!

As far as leather or satin, again, I say go with whatever feels best!
 
I would suggest that since you're just starting out, get the beige leather. Nearly no one wears m.etallic leather shoes in competition.
 
I have relatively small feet, and I find the t-strap designs make my foot look even smaller and stumpier. As I try and avoid that look, I have the International Cindy (same toe design, but with the wrap over the arch of the foot instead of the T-Bar). I like the stability of the wrap more, and it doesnt impede flex.

My shoes are relatively new, but in the month or so of dancing on them they've become much more flexible. The toe wrap doesnt seem to be stretching too much (although I'd like it to - I wear them for an hour and I have an imprint on my foot of four criss-crossing straps.)
 
samina said:
:shock:

how much dancing takes place in those 6-10 weeks that you wear them out so quickly?
Click to expand...

mmmm....quite a bit? I normally practice 2-4 hours a day, 4 or 5 days a week.

samina said:
and when you say "wear out", what do you mean?
Click to expand...

well a number of things start to happen all at the same time; the ball of foot/toe area becomes so flexible I am no longer receiving ANY support in the area, the material covering the inside of the sole of the shoe starts tearing away, the satin on the inside side of the heel cup wears off, the satin straps at the front end of the shoe start to fray a bit, and most importantly - the dreaded latin shoe smell becomes overpowering. ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Dance Ads

Advertise on Dance Forums Reach dancers, teachers, studios, event organizers, and dance-friendly brands. View ad options
Back
Top