IDS vs. Ray Rose vs. Aida Latin Shoes

Spookisgirl said:
@AHCook I wear the model 66 and love them. I have wider feet and the mesh is more comfortable than straps and keeps my toes from falling out. I haven't noticed any issues with pointing as the end of the shoes are quite flexible and the mesh brings the straps back a little bit off the toes. You also can't see the mesh from the audience because of the colour so it looks like most other strap shoes.
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@Spookisgirl, That sounds exactly like what I want. It doesn't seem like you have had any problems with the mesh ripping either, which is great. What options did you go with? Size? Width? & Toe Box Shape?
I am planning to call Aida before ordering, but I would love to hear what options you chose!
 
I wear 23.5 double wide, with round toe. I wear them so my toes are over the edge. I recently had to order new ones, in a lower heel due to knee issues, and since they offer triple wide I decided to go with them as I needed to do a lot of stretching in my old ones and hope to avoid that a bit. Haven't had any issues with the mesh ripping at all, and I find it very flexible and comfortable. If anything, the wear is in the ankle strap, but even that is manageable. Mine are two years old, but I only wear them for competition and the 2-3 weeks prior as I use a practice shoe with the same heel for regular training. I would contact aida--regardless of who you work with, they are awesome and helpful.
 
Going to try the IDS shoes via internet order again. good feedback from the sales - @datitmarsh I am a 4 in IDS too! One day, it would be nice if the bloody shoe sizes could actually be standardized. And will try Aida's again at OSB. grrrrr.
 
AHCook said:
@Miss Silly, Thank you so much for all your input! Thankfully I don't have to worry about bunions, but know people who do and it can be such a struggle to find comfortable shoes. :(

I will keep the flexibility in mind when making a decision. After 7 years of ballet training, comfort and fun are my current goals in ballroom. And learning the dances :joyful:
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Ahhh LOL 7 years of ballet training! You'll have strong feet LOL. In that case, you probably can ignore what i said :p
 
scullystwin42 said:
Going to try the IDS shoes via internet order again. good feedback from the sales - @datitmarsh I am a 4 in IDS too! One day, it would be nice if the bloody shoe sizes could actually be standardized. And will try Aida's again at OSB. grrrrr.
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After much trying on, and thoughts of attempting to stretch, I have decided to return mine. While the size 4 is perfect in length, I think I need a little more width in the strappy front.
 
Spookisgirl said:
I wear 23.5 double wide, with round toe. I wear them so my toes are over the edge. I recently had to order new ones, in a lower heel due to knee issues, and since they offer triple wide I decided to go with them as I needed to do a lot of stretching in my old ones and hope to avoid that a bit. Haven't had any issues with the mesh ripping at all, and I find it very flexible and comfortable. If anything, the wear is in the ankle strap, but even that is manageable. Mine are two years old, but I only wear them for competition and the 2-3 weeks prior as I use a practice shoe with the same heel for regular training. I would contact aida--regardless of who you work with, they are awesome and helpful.
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@Spookisgirl, Sorry to hear about the knee issues, I know from personal experience how difficult that can be! Thank you for all the explanation, seriously super helpful!! Especially as I am trying to avoid that restocking fee ;) Fingers crossed the heel height and triple wide are better for you!
 
Miss Silly said:
Ahhh LOL 7 years of ballet training! You'll have strong feet LOL. In that case, you probably can ignore what i said :p
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@Miss Silly, Unfortunately not as strong as they used to be, but a few years of mostly sitting and studying will do that to you :rolleyes:
And I truly appreciate all the advice! I just mentioned my years of ballet training because ballet can be quite uncomfortable, and I just want ballroom to be enjoyable and fun, not painful LOL.
 
datitmarsh said:
I got the Flavia. I If they just had a little bit more room in the front strappy part.... I am considering wearing them about the house with socks, to see if they will adapt just a tiny bit.
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I can't speak to this style, but I know for my own shoes, if they're not a little too tight at first, they'll end up too loose once they're broken in and stretched out. (A lot too tight is another issue.) I always use a wooden shoe stretcher so my feet don't have to put up with the first really-too-tight stages. But of course you won't know what their ultimate fit will be until too late/too used to return, so it's a potentially expensive judgment call.
 
bia said:
I can't speak to this style, but I know for my own shoes, if they're not a little too tight at first, they'll end up too loose once they're broken in and stretched out. (A lot too tight is another issue.) I always use a wooden shoe stretcher so my feet don't have to put up with the first really-too-tight stages. But of course you won't know what their ultimate fit will be until too late/too used to return, so it's a potentially expensive judgment call.
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After talking to my daughter, who also said the same thing, I decided I would wear the shoes round the house. I really didn't want to return them as I love the look of the shoe. Fortunately, my daughter takes maybe a half size smaller than me so even if I still felt they were too tight after 'breaking them in' she would wear them herself.
 
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Just now I saw on instagram a post by IDS that they have a new "XG Sole" available.... a "flexible rubber padding embedded into the under-sole of the shoe".

I can't get my feet into IDS but i am curious what those are like, and if it's somethign that's goign to catch on with other brands.... or if it's a 'good-in-theory' idea only.
 
Miss Silly said:
Just now I saw on instagram a post by IDS that they have a new "XG Sole" available.... a "flexible rubber padding embedded into the under-sole of the shoe".

I can't get my feet into IDS but i am curious what those are like, and if it's somethign that's goign to catch on with other brands.... or if it's a 'good-in-theory' idea only.
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Oh i saw that on insta a while ago too. It seems fascinating. I actually asked my pro about it, and his opinion was that if you really use your feet right, they are great, especially on slick floors. but he suggested I stay away because i've got a bad knee, and if the rubber gets stuck and my leg keeps turning - i'll have another acl or meniscus tear. so i decided to pass for now.
 
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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