DanceMentor
Administrator
Sure, let me see what I can do for you. It might be after the weekend that I have an answer for you.
Showtime Dance Shoes
- Thread starter DanceMentor
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DanceMentor
Administrator
Carrie said:
It sounds like your shoes are too big because of both weight lose and the shoes stretching. They have probably stretched quite a bit if you’ve been dancing in them regularly for over a year. Going down a half size should take care of it. You shouldn’t need a narrow unless you are buying your regular street shoes in narrow.
If the Mia style has been working for you then I would suggest the style Georgia. It is the same style, but has the “channel back” heel cup where the long arch strap actually runs through the top of the heel cup. This way when you pull the strap tight and buckle it, it will hold the heel cup to your heel and will prevent your heel from slipping. https://showtimedanceshoes.com/product/georgia-tan-satin/
If you would prefer the Mia, then yes, we can get that for you. Just give us a call. 1-800-433-5541
Well Rounded
Well-Known Member
I lost lots of weight when I first started dancing and I had similar shoe experiences. After my first year of dancing, my feet changed due to weight loss, and because of muscle development and changes in how I used my feet. I also preferred a more snug fit. My preferred style of shoes changed several times over the years. After a while I accepted buying new shoes as a way of life. I look for preowned shoes in my preferred styles online(ebay, poshmark, amazon, etc). You can often find shoes that have never really been worn because the buyer didn't like the fit after they got them. I usually spend less than $50 per pair for name brand shoes. I'm a little more willing to experiment with shoes that costs $30 instead of $160. Then I buy new for comp shoes.
wahoo_foxtrot
Well-Known Member
You can also call them to schedule an appointment to try on their shoes. If you need to order a model slightly different than their stock, I think they can do that for you too.
ProgressNotPerfection
Forum Master
Thank you so much for acting as my go-between! I appreciate your efforts, and her answers. But raindance is quite right - I should contact them myself.
It occurs to me that Showtime is located just outside Atlanta, which is about a 2-2.5 hour drive for me one way. It would be a lot cheaper to spend a half-day there, trying on
In the meantime, though, do any of you know the difference between the Ray Rose regular kalahari vs the “H860-X kalahari Xtra” (I’ve searched online, but even the RR website doesn’t explain the diff)?
Also, do any of you have experience wearing Showtime’s “Dance Club” brand?
DanceMentor
Administrator
I can tell you that they do sell a lot of the Dance Club brand, but they introduced that brand long after I stopped working there, so I can't comment.
Also, well this isn't helpful at the moment, they will bring shoes especially for you to try on at a competition if they are going to be there. You can arrange it in advance.
Oh, and Ray Rose is also a brand I'm not familiar with. I mostly know supadance, international, and freed. But there are definitely some Ray Rose fans out there who love their shoes.
raindance
Forum Master
In general, these shoes are geared more towards social dancers than competitors, though of course anyone can wear whatever they like. The Dance Club brand tends to be a bit less expensive, a bit looser fit, offer a bit more padding, and is perhaps a bit less durable than Supadance's main line.
scullystwin42
Forum Master
The xtras were supposed to be more flexible. I know that some people thought they were too flexible, but I actually really liked them. I love the balance of ray rose's, they are similar to Aida's balance, but i need something that is wider for my stupid clown feet. So i use the international flavia's in bespoke TRIPLE WIDE with their elite heel, which is the balance i like.
ProgressNotPerfection
Forum Master
So I went to my appointment at Showtime, and the research data I obtained was well worth the travel! Carrie wasn’t there so I worked with Brandy, who was extremely knowledgeable and helpful and patient. They definitely know their stuff.
Bottom line: I lucked out with my original online purchases from International Dance Shoes. That brand by FAR works better for me than Ray Rose, Supadance, or Dance Club, in standard, smooth, Latin, and practice shoes. (Still would like to try Paoul and Aida someday.)
Tidbits I learned that might help others:
Int’l’s Georgia model is custom made specifically for Showtime to be almost identical to the Mia, but wider, and has a channel back strap. It does not come in a narrow width.
Int’l’s Flavia model is a narrow style, and worked surprisingly well for me. I had anticipated that my pinky toes would have problems with sticking through all those extra straps around the toes, but so far it hasn’t been an issue. (I bought a pair in size 6 UK to replace my stretched-out size 6.5 UK Mias. Have only danced in them for an hour so far, but I’m cautiously optimistic.)
Int’l’s American Flex smooth shoes were absolutely the best smooth shoes I tried on. Exactly what I own already, but I need a size 6 UK instead of the 6.5 I have now.
When they say “order your ballroom dance shoes in a size smaller than your street shoes,” they mean it. In fact, maybe 1.5 sizes smaller than your street shoes. When new, the shoes should fit so snugly that you think they’re too small - without being actually painful. The ones I ordered online without trying on first - with the exception of my very first pair of Mia sandals - have all been a half size larger than I should have bought.
For practice shoes, the split sole style (like the Int’l Heather split sole mesh that I bought recently) has its downside. The absence of a full shank makes them very flexible, but too many times I’ve tripped myself because the heel folded under toward the middle of the shoe. The Heather full shank style felt much more stable to me, and was just as comfortable.
To evaluate the fit of a dance shoe, a technique that often works is this: sitting down, rest your foot on its heel, toes pointing straight up at the ceiling. The big toe should be touching the end of the shoe but not pressing against it, and the width should be comfortable. This indicates that the length of the shoe is correct. However, when you stand up, if your foot slides forward causing your toes to get squashed (despite the shoes being the correct length), this indicates that the shoes are too wide. A narrower shoe in the same size should, ideally, hold your feet securely in place so that they don’t slide forward.
(This is exactly how it worked for me, when I tried the Int’l Heather practice shoes in the same size I own, 6.5 UK, but in narrow width. Perfect. No squashed toes.)
Some shoes (including the Heathers mentioned above) have very, very scratchy inside linings around the mouth of the shoe. This could be from where the stitching knots are located or from excess glue. Simple solution is to use an emery board or nail file to gently smooth down the scratchy bits. I was thrilled at how well this worked! (And disappointed that it never occurred to me before to try it.) I wonder if this might cause problems down the road (e.g., if you file down a knot, could that eventually lead to the stitching unraveling completely? The way a sweater unravels if you pull on a loose yarn end?), but I suspect that the shoe’s limited life span means it will be worn out before something like that can happen. Another unexpected solution is to use “puffy paint” - the kind you buy at craft stores to decorate t-shirts or whatever - to create a sort of cushioned buffer between the scratchy edges and your foot. Neat!
The Ray Rose kalahari model, which is one of the most popular shoes out there, apparently runs large. I had to go all the way down to size 5.5 UK in those. The straps around the toes are very snug, but feel almost elasticized so they’re not uncomfortable. Unfortunately for me, the Ray Rose brand is known for having the biggest heel cup. If you hear a farting noise from your shoe on every step you take, it indicates that there is extra space in the heel cup, so you need either a different size or a different style. (Personal conclusion: due to the big heel cups, Ray Roses will never work for me unless my feet get significantly wider.)
Narrow, straight heels - usually called elite or stiletto depending on the brand - are TOTALLY different from the flared version!!! I was shocked at what a difference that made. Flared heels don’t LOOK that much fatter than straight ones, but OMG I could barely even stand up in the narrow heels, and certainly couldn’t dance (or even walk) in them. I know your weight is supposed to stay on the balls of your feet most of the time, so perhaps more experienced dancers would be able to wear stilettos; or perhaps it’s just a personal preference; but I can’t see myself EVER wearing narrow heels. Hats off to dancers whose balance is good enough to manage those.
The Supadance brand is apparently known for having good arch support. Also, many of their sandals have much shorter-than-usual toe boxes, which some dancers prefer, because they like having the ends of their toes extend way past the ends of the shoes at all times. (I don’t mind my toes going past the ends of the shoes during certain moves, but it’s uncomfortable for me to feel them constantly dragging on the floor [after all, my toes aren’t suede-soled].) YMMV.
I took lots of detailed notes, so I’ll be better informed whenever I make my next online shoe purchases. Hopefully some of the info in this post will be helpful for other dancers too.
Bottom line: I lucked out with my original online purchases from International Dance Shoes. That brand by FAR works better for me than Ray Rose, Supadance, or Dance Club, in standard, smooth, Latin, and practice shoes. (Still would like to try Paoul and Aida someday.)
Tidbits I learned that might help others:
Int’l’s Georgia model is custom made specifically for Showtime to be almost identical to the Mia, but wider, and has a channel back strap. It does not come in a narrow width.
This is a great concept! Several other shoe brands offer this style in certain models, too. Unfortunately for me, the location of the strap channel around the back of my heel is right where my ankle curves in, so tightening the strap didn’t actually have any practical effect on how the heel cup fits my foot.
Int’l’s Flavia model is a narrow style, and worked surprisingly well for me. I had anticipated that my pinky toes would have problems with sticking through all those extra straps around the toes, but so far it hasn’t been an issue. (I bought a pair in size 6 UK to replace my stretched-out size 6.5 UK Mias. Have only danced in them for an hour so far, but I’m cautiously optimistic.)
Int’l’s American Flex smooth shoes were absolutely the best smooth shoes I tried on. Exactly what I own already, but I need a size 6 UK instead of the 6.5 I have now.
When they say “order your ballroom dance shoes in a size smaller than your street shoes,” they mean it. In fact, maybe 1.5 sizes smaller than your street shoes. When new, the shoes should fit so snugly that you think they’re too small - without being actually painful. The ones I ordered online without trying on first - with the exception of my very first pair of Mia sandals - have all been a half size larger than I should have bought.
For practice shoes, the split sole style (like the Int’l Heather split sole mesh that I bought recently) has its downside. The absence of a full shank makes them very flexible, but too many times I’ve tripped myself because the heel folded under toward the middle of the shoe. The Heather full shank style felt much more stable to me, and was just as comfortable.
To evaluate the fit of a dance shoe, a technique that often works is this: sitting down, rest your foot on its heel, toes pointing straight up at the ceiling. The big toe should be touching the end of the shoe but not pressing against it, and the width should be comfortable. This indicates that the length of the shoe is correct. However, when you stand up, if your foot slides forward causing your toes to get squashed (despite the shoes being the correct length), this indicates that the shoes are too wide. A narrower shoe in the same size should, ideally, hold your feet securely in place so that they don’t slide forward.
(This is exactly how it worked for me, when I tried the Int’l Heather practice shoes in the same size I own, 6.5 UK, but in narrow width. Perfect. No squashed toes.)
Some shoes (including the Heathers mentioned above) have very, very scratchy inside linings around the mouth of the shoe. This could be from where the stitching knots are located or from excess glue. Simple solution is to use an emery board or nail file to gently smooth down the scratchy bits. I was thrilled at how well this worked! (And disappointed that it never occurred to me before to try it.) I wonder if this might cause problems down the road (e.g., if you file down a knot, could that eventually lead to the stitching unraveling completely? The way a sweater unravels if you pull on a loose yarn end?), but I suspect that the shoe’s limited life span means it will be worn out before something like that can happen. Another unexpected solution is to use “puffy paint” - the kind you buy at craft stores to decorate t-shirts or whatever - to create a sort of cushioned buffer between the scratchy edges and your foot. Neat!
The Ray Rose kalahari model, which is one of the most popular shoes out there, apparently runs large. I had to go all the way down to size 5.5 UK in those. The straps around the toes are very snug, but feel almost elasticized so they’re not uncomfortable. Unfortunately for me, the Ray Rose brand is known for having the biggest heel cup. If you hear a farting noise from your shoe on every step you take, it indicates that there is extra space in the heel cup, so you need either a different size or a different style. (Personal conclusion: due to the big heel cups, Ray Roses will never work for me unless my feet get significantly wider.)
Narrow, straight heels - usually called elite or stiletto depending on the brand - are TOTALLY different from the flared version!!! I was shocked at what a difference that made. Flared heels don’t LOOK that much fatter than straight ones, but OMG I could barely even stand up in the narrow heels, and certainly couldn’t dance (or even walk) in them. I know your weight is supposed to stay on the balls of your feet most of the time, so perhaps more experienced dancers would be able to wear stilettos; or perhaps it’s just a personal preference; but I can’t see myself EVER wearing narrow heels. Hats off to dancers whose balance is good enough to manage those.
The Supadance brand is apparently known for having good arch support. Also, many of their sandals have much shorter-than-usual toe boxes, which some dancers prefer, because they like having the ends of their toes extend way past the ends of the shoes at all times. (I don’t mind my toes going past the ends of the shoes during certain moves, but it’s uncomfortable for me to feel them constantly dragging on the floor [after all, my toes aren’t suede-soled].) YMMV.
I took lots of detailed notes, so I’ll be better informed whenever I make my next online shoe purchases. Hopefully some of the info in this post will be helpful for other dancers too.
ProgressNotPerfection
Forum Master
More shoe advice needed, please!
When I started Standard lessons, StandardPro recommended I get standard court shoes instead of the open-sided smooth shoes I wear with regular pro. I don’t remember all his reasons, but they included more stability due to the closed sides and firm shank.
No problem, I thought to myself, because I already bought a pair of those last fall, and they were perfect except they got too big! So I’ll just get the same thing in a smaller size.
Well....not sure I was right about that. My current smooth shoes and my rhythm sandals were both purchased within the last 3 months; are both made by International; and are both size 6 UK. So I ordered the ICS round toe flesh satin in size 6 UK - exact same model I bought almost a year ago (but those were size 7 UK).
I think the length is correct, because my toes are uncomfortably squeezed without being curled, but it looks to me like there are gaps all around my feet and the shoes gave me blisters the first time I wore them.
These are photos of my feet in the new shoes. International is known for running narrow, so I ordered their regular width. Based on these pics, however, I’m thinking maybe I should’ve gotten them in narrow width? Or is this particular style just wrong for my feet? Note: I do not have to unbuckle the strap to put the shoes on or take them off. That feels like a bad sign to me, given how snugly dance shoes are supposed to fit.
Advice from experienced dancers welcome!
For comparison, here are photos of my feet in my smooth shoes. The elasticated vamp definitely holds them better against my toes, but you can see that the channel-back strap behind the ankle doesn’t really do for me what it’s designed for. There’s still that same gap at the ankle. But these shoes are comfortable to dance in and feel stable, and I DO have to unfasten the strap to get the shoes on and off my feet.
When I started Standard lessons, StandardPro recommended I get standard court shoes instead of the open-sided smooth shoes I wear with regular pro. I don’t remember all his reasons, but they included more stability due to the closed sides and firm shank.
No problem, I thought to myself, because I already bought a pair of those last fall, and they were perfect except they got too big! So I’ll just get the same thing in a smaller size.
Well....not sure I was right about that. My current smooth shoes and my rhythm sandals were both purchased within the last 3 months; are both made by International; and are both size 6 UK. So I ordered the ICS round toe flesh satin in size 6 UK - exact same model I bought almost a year ago (but those were size 7 UK).
I think the length is correct, because my toes are uncomfortably squeezed without being curled, but it looks to me like there are gaps all around my feet and the shoes gave me blisters the first time I wore them.
These are photos of my feet in the new shoes. International is known for running narrow, so I ordered their regular width. Based on these pics, however, I’m thinking maybe I should’ve gotten them in narrow width? Or is this particular style just wrong for my feet? Note: I do not have to unbuckle the strap to put the shoes on or take them off. That feels like a bad sign to me, given how snugly dance shoes are supposed to fit.
Advice from experienced dancers welcome!
For comparison, here are photos of my feet in my smooth shoes. The elasticated vamp definitely holds them better against my toes, but you can see that the channel-back strap behind the ankle doesn’t really do for me what it’s designed for. There’s still that same gap at the ankle. But these shoes are comfortable to dance in and feel stable, and I DO have to unfasten the strap to get the shoes on and off my feet.
My 2 cents is that they look too wide. My court shoes fit snugly in that direction, though I'm starting to realize that I might have "wide" size feet relative to my shoe size.
My independent pro once told me that ideally, court shoes do not have a strap and that judges don't like those, since if your technique is good enough, they should not fall off without it. His wife always wore court shoes with no strap (even when we were doing Latin). Having said that, I've noticed that most ladies, both pro and amateur, tend to have straps on their court shoes, so not sure how much I make of his "judges don't like it" comment since it seems like I'm generally in good company. But yeah, I don't think you should be able to slide your foot in without unbuckling.
However, I defer to the higher level standard folks here.
scullystwin42
Forum Master
I am by no means a standard expert, but i thought the judges' main objection was to the court shoes with the clear plastic strap, not the ones with the strap as part of the shoe.
And @ProgressNotPerfection , those do look a bit big. I think there are some that have elastic around the top of the shoe, those might fight better.
wahoo_foxtrot
Well-Known Member
Sounds like a perfect excuse to try out more models or sizes and buy new shoes 
scullystwin42
Forum Master
Hey there - are IDS sizes and Supadance sizes about the same in reality? I mean, i know they both have 4 UK, but i know things can vary across vendors. I need a pair of 4 UK black satin adjustable vamps and i see one on sale... but i don't usually wear supadance. anyone worn both?