Dance Shoes

Perhaps one of the most important things you can do to improve your success in dancing is purchase an appropriate pair of dance shoes.

Buying a pair of dance shoes might seem like a serious step to somebody who is just starting out in learning to dance, but it’s really a very, very good idea.  After all, you wouldn’t take up running and not buy a pair of running shoes!

Why are dance shoes important?

Every style of dance we know of (except pole dancing) involves moving your feet on a dance floor.  Your dance shoes are the link between your feet and that dance floor.

It is important to wear the right shoes in any form of physical activity, and dancing is no different.

Dance shoes are designed specifically for the needs of dancing.  Buying the right dance shoes will be the easiest and quickest way to improve your dancing, and in many cases, improve your comfort and safety.

Dancing frequently involves rotating, spinning and turning.  The sole of dance shoes is usually leather or suede which provides just the right amount of grip while still letting your foot turn and spin on the dance floor.  Very importantly this reduces stress on the knees.

Dance shoes are usually very light and well fitted to your foot allowing you to be more aware of your feet and more precise in your movement.

Specifically for Men

In many dance styles, street or sports sneakers are not really appropriate for dancing.  The main reason is that they tend to have rubber soles which provide too much grip and prevent the foot from turning on the dance floor.

Sneakers and men’s street shoes also tend to be quite large with thick soles designed for comfort when running or walking, rather than the precise movement and foot placement required in dancing.

Specifically for Women

Dance shoes are specifically designed to fit your foot well without allowing movement of the foot inside the shoe.  The heels are usually an appropriate height for dancing comfortably, and the sole allows for easy turning and spinning.

Ask Your Teacher Before You Start Class

Absolutely you should ask your teacher about the best footwear for your first class.  Often this information can be found on the dance school or teachers website, but if in doubt, just call them.

Most dance teachers wouldn’t expect you to own dance shoes before your first class but it will make you experience far more enjoyable if you at least wear something appropriate.

Dance Shoes Aren’t Expensive

Dance shoes are not typically very expensive as you will see in the examples below.  A reasonable pair of dance shoes will typically cost between $50 and $100.  Of course there are always more expensive shoes but these tend to be more costly for reasons of fashion rather than function.

Not All Dance Shoes are the Same

Not all dance styles are the same, so as you will see below, not all dance shoes are the same.  When you buy a pair of dance shoes it’s best to ask your teachers which shoes are best for the particular style you are learning.

Where to Buy Dance Shoes

Unless the dance shoe you require is also a street shoe, it is unlikely you will find dance shoes in a standard shoe store.  You will need to find a dance shoe specialist.  These should be fairly easy to come by with a little help from Google.  Once again, it is your teachers who will most likely know the best place to get dance shoes so its worth asking them.

Don’t rely on the Shoe Salesmen

Don’t rely on the people in the dance shoe store to know which shoes are best for your dance style.  They probably know a lot about dance shoes, but they probably don’t know the requirements of every dance style out there.  Your teachers are the best people to ask.

Local Dance Shoe Stores

Typical Men’s Dance Shoes

The following are some of the typical styles of dance shoe available for men.  Hold your mouse over the image or link to see prices from Amazon.

		Typical Basic Dance Sneaker with Flat Sole Aris Allen Men’s Ultra-Lightweight Black Retro Dance Sneakers with Suede Leather Soles
		Typical Ballroom Dance Shoe with Low Heel Bloch Men’s Xavier Ballroom Shoe,Black,12.5 X(Medium) US
		Typical Jazz Style Dance Sneaker Sansha Motion Dance Sneaker,Black,12 Sansha (10 M US Women’s/8.5 M US Men’s)
		Typical Mens Ballet Shoe Capezio Men’s Cobra Ballet Shoe,Black,8 M US
		Typical Tap Shoes Sansha Men’s T-Swing Tap Shoe,Black/White,11 M US
		Typical Street Dance Shoe Vans Chukka Low Skate Shoes Green/Corduroy Mens Sz 11

Typical Women’s Dance Shoes

The following are some of the typical styles of dance shoe available for women.  Hold your mouse over the image or link to see prices from Amazon.

		Typical Low Heel Open Toe Latin Dance Shoe Basic Dance Shoes 1.8″ Cuban Heel
		Typical Low Heel Closed Toe Latin Dance Shoe Closed Toe Black Suede 1.3″ Heel
		Typical Latin Dance Shoe Medium Heel Open Toe Stephanie Open Toe X-Strap
		Typical BalletShoe Capezio Women’s 2033 Leather Cobra Ballet Shoe
		Typical Jazz Sneaker Bloch Women’s Boost Dance Sneaker
		Typical Basic Low Heel Ballroom Shoe Dance Class Women’s BR200M Ballroom Shoe