Shoes Question for smooth ladies

[lynn]

While I'm firmly convinced that standard ladies should always go for practice or court shoes, I'm curious about smooth dancers.

After paying close attention to several ladies who dance smooth in my studio, I've noticed that unfortunately the ones who wear practice and court shoes are in the minority. The majority of the students wear either latin sandals, regular shoes w/ heels or whatever they have on (i've seen runners, knee high boots with 4" chunky heels - i'm utterly speechless and amazed at how how people are able tod ance in that heavy monstrosity!, cool cowby boots, and of course, the holy cow, is that the 4.5" stiletto heels that can double as a murder weapon?! :shock: )

So....what do DF smooth ladies prefer?

 

[Chris Stratton]

Just scanned through the video from pro smooth at yankee 2003, and near as I can tell all the ladies are wearing.... smooth shoes: closed toe, open sides, allegedly standard heel

Amongst multi-style amateurs you'd probably see a lot of standard court shoes, with some of the beginners in latin shoes - though I've known some girls who bought smooth shoes as their first pair, intending to use them for everything and thinking that they'd be less restricting in latin than court shoes.

You want to see politics... take a college team's beginner class shoe shopping and watch the upperclass guides style biases come out!

 

[lynn]

a friend of mine uses smooth shoes for both smooth & latin - i agree it's more flexible than court shoes, but i hardly think it's flexible enough to be dancing latin in.

i'm still wondering why the need for "smooth" shoes - the open side part, is it purely for aesthetics or is there a functional explanation that i overlooked? I agree they look more trendy than court shoes, but I feel the open sides provide less support and the pointy toes are just plain uncomfortable - but that's purely personal preference, of course.

Speaking of shoe politics - there are several fashion conscious ladies in my class who refuse to forgo their fresh-off-the-rack fashion sandals for the granny pumps. It reminds me of how athletes always train with weights on to make the training more challenging. If those ladies can balance with those suckers on, that'll certainly be a plus come competition time!

 

[Chris Stratton]

i'm still wondering why the need for "smooth" shoes - the open side part, is it purely for aesthetics or is there a functional explanation that i overlooked? I agree they look more trendy than court shoes, but I feel the open sides provide less support and the pointy toes are just plain uncomfortable - but that's purely personal preference, of course.

I'd be shocked if anyone would fault you for wearing court shoes in smooth. Especially in syllabus levels where the standard-type actions dominate. You'd be hard pressed to find any lower body action in basic syllabus smooth that is further than a seperated and mirror imaged cousin to something regularly seen in the open standard.

Next thing you know, there will be rumors of the dance police handing out tickets for failing to change dresses between smooth and standard. "

But officer, it doesn't even have floats"

"Save it for the judge..."

 

[lynn]

Ah, but sometimes shoes do make a poltical statement - by wearing court shoes, it signals that I'm serious about the technique aspect of my dancing - something that some instructors believe the students may not be ready for yet.

The studio i take smooth classes in have a group of supporters who believe that smooth & standard do not mix and are firm "no granny pumps" loyalists. I think I'll wear my court shoes to my group class next time and see if i get stoned!

OK, i think i'm treading on dangerous water here, let's move away from that much debated topic.

P.S. The smooth shoes i see do not have the slim pencil heels of many court shoes, rather they have chunky heels that resemble practice shoes - it could just be one of the variation but i find the feeling of smooth shoes to be between court and latin - not enough support to be doing solid standard technique and not flexible enough for latin - but hey, i'm just a newbie, what do i know :wink: ?!

 

[lynn]

Larinda, thank you for the explanation - that makes so much moresense now!

The picture's beautiful! Now the smooth shoes remind me of ballet slippers !

 

[Chris Stratton]

Ah, but sometimes shoes do make a poltical statement - by wearing court shoes, it signals that I'm serious about the technique aspect of my dancing - something that some instructors believe the students may not be ready for yet.

And there are some people who are not ready to be teaching yet...

It's always easier to earn to do something right the first time than to correct bad habits later - the only reason for leaving out such basic details as foot action is the limited attention span of new beginners. A reputable teacher will bring it up in the first few lessons, and be stressing it heavily by the time there is any talk of competition.

A valid argument could be made for starting with a lower, chunkier heel... but there's no point in putting someone on spindly fashion heels just because she's new - that's a good way to insure that she'll waste years in the stage of looking like a new beginner.

 

[macha]

So, politics and cliques aside, focusing on what is technically best for actual learning and not impressing people, is this shoe all right to learn waltz, rhumba, some salsa (ick- salsa's not going well this month), and tango?

I really liked my other pair like this, but I'm going to get the size smaller so my toes don't "come up short" at the end, leaving extra shoe space.

I am not qualified to give an expert opinion on shoes, but I like this style because I can slide my feet, move them the way my teachers like for the waltz, and they actually don't hurt- and then I can keep my heels up, and change my weight more easily for the latin dances we're doing.

Would people please post pics of the shoes mentioned before?

 

[lynn]

Macha, that is absolutely gorgeous! The style looks like latin, but if i'm not mistaken, i think the heel is standard-like pencil heel. I find slim heels, even if on latin shoes, are pretty stable - i've never danced standard in them so i'll leave the verdict to the experts.

For right now, I think I should really work on beginner issues such as balancing and stability, i'll leave the leg line/pointing toe as my milestone for the next decade. I need the support of standard shoes and smooth shoes are just not adequate at this point.

As Chris mentioned, AS shoes have open sides and closed toes, they look more or less like this one:

http://www.dancesport.uk.com/shoes/inter/lad_asm.htm

 

[macha]

I love this shoe- I really am considering not "upsetting the applecart" by going with something new. I DO get tired feet and legs, but in retrospect, I don't think it's because of the shoes so much as my own conditioning. It'll just take time.

Yeah, even though it isn't as "shiny" as I'd like, I'm going to get this shoe again. I know closed toes seem to be proper, but I feel "claustrophobic" in a closed-toe while I'm working on something- that, and I can imagine what those toes would look like after... well... nevermind... :wink:

The open-toe seems to give me more... flexibility.. or something.

My right foot is ... different- I know shoes fit it more tightly around the metatarsals AND the ankle because of dear sweet innocent little Zumi practicing sideways lunges onto my feet when I lead him. I have to cater more to that foot than the other, but the other's ankle is stupid, if it isn't swollen.

Yeah, I am reconsidering everything- it's maaaaadness! I'm going with "what I know" for shoes now. Then shiny later.

But... purple or silver! AAAACK!

 

[fascination]

wow ....wasn't that a beautiful picture of Larinda? I don't think I'm ever gonna be able to do that with my foot though.... :wink: for me, I love a court shoe...I like the 2 inch heel b/c partner is not tall and the international cut which is pointed at both the toe and the where the foot goes in....I have one pair for practice and one pair for comp...I love them and feel good in them...I use hockey tape on them if I am practicing something like heel turns etc....where I think I might come out of the shoe....I dance standard and smooth in them...and prefer to dance latin in them as well b/c the doggone strappy latin ones are SOOOOOOOOOOOO uncomfortable...plus I hate my toes and they cut like a knife

 

[Purr]

I wear the 1012 Supadance, a rounded toe court shoe with a jewel buckle on a single vamp strap, for both smooth and standard. It's the best fitting, and most comfortable, court shoe I've tried. Since the shoe has a strap, I don't have to worry about it flying off my foot.

The 1028 Supadance was my first pair of court shoes. It's a beautiful close toe shoe with an arch strap. The problem was the sides of the shoe cut horribly into my feet. And, if my feet even swelled a little bit, they were murder to wear, let alone try to dance in.

I've tried on the 1216 Liason, a mesh and satin court shoe. From the picture, it might be the shoe Larinda wears, or something close. While it's a beautiful shoe, I just can't wear it. Like the 1028 Supadance, the sides of the shoe cut horribly into my feet.

Maybe I just have wierd feet or something...

 

[fascination]

MACHA, re:"for the love of the Goddess, why can't I find the right shoes?".....b/c the goddess would never be dumb enough to try to wedge her feet or body for that matter into the things that we try to put on :lol:

 

[lynn]

fascination, i thought you're doing smooth and not standard?? forgive my very crappy memory, it's close to Christmas and my brain decided to take an early break......

 

[fascination]

fascination, i thought you're doing smooth and not standard?? forgive my very crappy memory, it's close to Christmas and my brain decided to take an early break......

am doing both...and love both, but probably prefer standard...this weekend 8 heats of smooth, 12 heats of standard, 2 scholarships and 2 championships...yikes :shock: off to practice