What to look for?
- Leather sole. Should be not too thick/hard and not sticking out outside of the foot. In case you found a great shoe, but with rubber/plastic sole, the sole can be replaced by a leather one before the shoes are worn.
- No Platforms– They might look great but extra heavy and don’t really allow to feel the floor.
- Stable heel– if you choose to dance with heels, make sure they fit the hight and are balanced under the centre of your heel. The heel shouldn’t feel heavy and should enhance you capacity to dance. Don’t push yourselves beyond your comfort.
- Your foot should not move around the shoe- strap or shoe laces.
- Longevity– good solid materials, no visible glue, strong streps and closures.
- Fit– your foot expands as you are dancing, but so does the leather of your shoe, up to half a size.
- Inside your shoe- a good dance shoe should have padding under your sole, in case it doesn’t, one can be purchased.
- Support your arch! Make sure there is no gap between the shoe and the inner centre of your foot. Sometimes added support is needed. The more arch support the less your feet get tired.
- A good Shoe Repair can save you a lot of money, time and heart ache. Take care of your things and they will serve you longer. In case you don’t know a good repairman for dance shoes specifically, ask your teachers in the local community.
Pro Dance Shoes:
Pro Danse– located at Alte Schönhauser Str. 16, 10119 Berlin
Other known good brands: Capezio and Bloch.
In case you want to go all vintage inspired pro dance shoes:
Remix Shoes
St. Savoy
Non Dance Shoes:
Marco Farino– located at 8, Alte Schönhauser Str. 7, 10119 Berlin
You can obviously find other shoes that you like and in some cases replace their shoe sole with a leather one, in cases they were never worn before. “Oxford” style pumps is the typical, but not the only one.
*In case you dance on a non dance floor, don’t bother with leather soles, they will get destroyed.
*Choose the shoe that fits you. If you like feels of them, go for them. If you prefer flat shoes, than that’s the one! You are much better dancer when you are comfortable!!
Rosa Lee 