IDS vs. Ray Rose vs. Aida Latin Shoes

rels77 said:
How often do you wear your shoes? How often are you replacing the heel? I've never had that happen to me, but I've also never worn a pair of shoes longer than a year. Most of my dance shoes get about 6 months wear before they're done for. My Aida's with the suede heel cups lasted the longest. I also have to replace the heels on my latin shoes about every 2-3 months.
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I got them late September/early October...I dance Latin in them...and I've been dancing a little less than usual. Maybe 4 hours a week.

I've never replaced the heels (and by that I mean the heel cap) in any of my shoes...

This is the first time a heel cap falls / snaps off.
 
Tangos_with_Tim said:
Has anyone tried any of the new Ray Rose Latin X range? I used to love RR, but changed allegiances when they introduced the Ultra-flex soles which were too unstable for me.

The blurb for the Latin X suggests they may have tried to address the instability problem: 'As well as the latest triathlon grade heel support, all sandals in this range have an ergonomically designed, extra supportive, arch with a flexible front. The synergy is created by inclusion of an exclusively designed orthotic, including an integral metatarsal support.' The Supportive Arch is 'suitable for medium and high arches', offering 'optimum flexibility with stability and control'.

I changed to IDS, but have never felt the fit of the heel cup was as good as RR, so would be interested to try them again if anyone else recommends...
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Interesting! Did they finally start listening to their customer base? I will probably stay with the IDS Flavia, as the fit is perfect for me and the price is quite reasonable too. I would be very interested to hear if you try the new Ray Rose style and what you think, as I recall that we had the same concern with the ultra flex sole
 
so i decided to go back to IDS, and finally got the latest order. Demani, wide, sz4, 2.5 elite heel. still a little too snug around my toes, but i could get them on (unlike the aida's) and they were more comfortable than my ray rose kalaharis. I'm debating going to the extra wide. and possibly the 3" heel. Anyone know if the length changes at all when going to extra wide? didn't know if i need to drop down a half size if i go to extra wide. I can email them, but i thought i'd check the collective wisdom here. I would like my shoe drama to be over already, stupid feet.
 
From their website - sounds like the length of different widths *should* be the same -

"Each fitting carries around a 0.5cm difference. For instance, a Wide fit is 0.5cm wider than a Regular fitting. An Extra Wide fitting would be a further 0.5cm wider than the Wide fitting. The additional fitting is based on the circumference of the upper and the insole remains the same width throughout the various fittings."

https://www.internationaldanceshoes.com/sizing-fittings/
 
I was under the impression that in most cases, the "wide" is equivalent to the same width of a shoe that is a half size bigger, extra wide, to one size bigger and so on. So if you tried on shoes to fit the width only and found that a 5 fits, then you would order the extra wide in a 4 to get the right width/length combination? Trouble is, some shoes start narrower, so their wide might be the same width as another's normal width. Also with some Latin shoes, the shape of the toe is a signal for the width - the square toe in Aida seems to be a half size wider than the round toe, so I ordered a square toe in the length 25, since my feet are slightly wide, and thank goodness they fitted perfectly. This was a few years ago now, and they still fit fine. I got leather so they would last longer and they still look good enough for a comp (not that I'm ever likely to be that lucky). It is a shame that the shoe sites don't have some sort of calculator, where you tap in measurements of your feet, including the circumference around the ball area and up pops the shoes most likely to be comfortable. Sure would save a lot of peeps a lot of money!
Wonder if there is some way we could start collecting data, where we submit our foot measurements and a list of what shoes we found that work for us? Mods, would we be allowed to have a link to something on Survey Monkey to collect data, and then print a report of the results every few months?
 
SwingingAlong said:
Wonder if there is some way we could start collecting data, where we submit our foot measurements and a list of what shoes we found that work for us? Mods, would we be allowed to have a link to something on Survey Monkey to collect data, and then print a report of the results every few months?
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Scratch that out, it is probably too complicated.
 
So i heard back from IDS and the length does not change if you get an extra wide. I am still wondering if i should go another half-size smaller anyway, but I think i'll try that later this spring at a comp that will have a vendor.
 
GinaN said:
So...I got my Aida Karina's in the triple wide. I stayed with my regular size (23).

As far as the width, definitely more comfortable out of the box. Not sure how I'll feel once they're worn in more (I've worn them only a few hours total so far), they may become too loose too quickly. We'll see.

Also...

I don't know...the heel cup on the right foot seems a bit loose.

And - the satin strap where you put them on is already showing signs of wear. It dawned on me that this may happen because with the traditional close method (where you have to put the little stick through the hole) you are rubbing against the satin to get to the right hole every time you put on your shoes. With the "quick" method there is less rubbing. So I'm not sure that it's that the satin is any less quality, it might be the method. (one thing I notice is that the buckle/clasp is pretty thin and flimsy...for the money I would like it to look and feel more substantial. And as always, it's plain without rhinestones...again, for the money, would be nice to have a little bling there.)

I wonder if I should take them to the shoe maker...maybe there's a way to make the heel cup feel more secure? Has anyone done this? And has anyone ever had the satin straps for the ankle reinforced, to help with the fraying?

(I still owe you guys the picture comparing all the shoes - I will get to it soon! Now I can add this width too.)
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Hello GinaN,

My feet are 10cm wide and i was wondering how wide is the triple Aida? I have used supa dance and the were too tight, then tried Rummos but isn't so flexible, i got to try a ray rose medium+ but since they were 1yr used and stretched my foot got through but the straps where pinching my toes. :(
 
huh, interesting re new Elite heel. i actually still find the Aida heel too far forward. but i LOVE the IDS ultra slim heel!
 
Tangos_with_Tim said:
Glad to hear the heel placement has improved, I tried Elites before and felt very unsafe in them!
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I have the old ones too, and I liked the placement, even if it was a little different than Aida. I've pretty much found after this competition that I should wear my ray rose kalaharis to compete - even though by the end of the comp, my feet are dead - and my IDS's for lessons and practice. my feet/body be weird.
 
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