Notes on dance shoes
Why dance shoes?
Proper dance shoes are very helpful for ballroom dancing. Dance shoes have the following characteristics.
- The soles are made of suede or similar material. This allows the foot to stay in place when weight is applied, and allows the foot to slide or pivot when weight is released.
- The shoes are more flexible and supple than regular street shoes, allowing the dancer to feel the floor.
Suede soles need tending
When a suede sole loses its roughness, a dancer is more likely to slip. The suede will lose its roughness very quickly, on the order of 3-4 hours of use. This assumes a smooth, dry, relatively clean dance floor with special floor wax - a dirtier floor or a floor with ordinary floor wax will smooth out suede soles even faster.
The opposite happens when a suede sole gets wet: the sole sticks to the floor and it is hard to glide or pivot - it feels like dancing in sneakers.
The fix is to brush the suede with a stiff wire brush. Ballroom dance shoe vendors sell these brushes, but you can also get the same brushes in hardware stores - the brush I use is marketed as a brush to clean off metal files.
- A smoothed-out suede sole will have hard, shiny patches - indeed, the entire surface that contacts the floor may be smooth, hard and shiny. Brush the suede sole until the sole is rough and not shiny.
- Since brushing does remove a tiny amount of suede material, do not over-brush. I typically brush my dance shoes before I put them on, and that's usually good enough for an evening.
When the suede soles can no longer be brushed back to usefulness, the soles can be replaced. Any cobbler who can replace suede soles will do - I take my shoes to a Heel-Sew Quik vendor at Moorestown Mall. I typically need new soles every 2-3 years, and I go to dance classes or dance parties 3-5 times a week.
When dance shoes are not appropriate
Street shoes with leather soles are adequate for the beginner. When beginner students call Candlelight Dance Club, for example, they are advised to wear shoes with leather soles - no sneakers. Dance shoes cost approximately $100, perhaps an unnecessary expense if you aren't yet sure if you'll spend a lot of time dancing.
Street shoes with leather soles may also be appropriate for floors that might be too rough, too dirty or too sticky for dance shoes. My $60 street shoes hold up better to abuse than my $100 dance shoes.
There was one time when the person I was dancing with took off her street shoes to dance with her stockinged feet. Even with soft dance shoes on I was nervous about possibly stepping on her - so I did the gallant thing and took off my shoes and danced in my socks. It felt weird - but it was fun!
Miscellaneous notes
Ballroom dance shoes are often sold in British shoe sizes, so be sure to order the proper size equivalent.
Major dance competitions often have dance shoe vendors present. Vendors also occasionally visit dance studios. In terms of getting properly fitting shoes it's easier to buy shoes from vendors. It is also possible (and sometimes cheaper) to buy from mail-order or over the Internet, but if the shoe doesn't fit... you must acquit. (Sorry, couldn't resist.) And you'll have to go through the bother to return or exchange the shoes.
(Since I don't have experience with women's dance shoes, I asked Terri for some advice. Her comments are summarized.)
Women's dance shoes come in far more many styles than men's dance shoes; it may take 5 or 6 different pairs to decide what particular styles feel comfortable. Some issues to consider:
- closed toe vs. open toe vs. more open toe
- assorted styles of heel straps
- T-strap may/may not feel comfortable
- open heel vs. closed heel
- heel height
- etc.
Also, your preferences in street shoes might not apply towards dance shoes.