Smart Shopping for Dance Shoes

You can buy dance shoes tailored to every genre of dance. Ballet dancers will look for slippers and toe shoes; jazz and hip-hop dancers will look for a sneaker, oxford, slip-on, split sole, or boot. Female Latin dancers will look for heeled shoes that allow for turns on the floor, while the men will look for a hard Oxford or a jazz shoe.

What to Look for

A good dance shoe is lightweight and constructed to allow the foot ample freedom while providing protection. When looking for ballet slippers, try them on while wearing tights. Make sure that the toes fit snugly and that the heel does not come off when pointing your toes. Ballet slippers should fit like a second skin. Toe shoes should be 1 to 3 sizes smaller than your normal street shoe with a half-inch space in the tip of the toe to allow for padding. With jazz shoes, there should be no excess room when tried on with tights or socks. Jazz shoes come in many styles, with the split sole sneaker being more flexible than the full sole version. Most jazz sneakers are constructed to support the arch and provide cushioning for jumps. Many have a turn area on the sole that corresponds to the pad of the big toe. Some come with a hard toe casing allowing the dancer to stand on her toes. Think about what kind of dance style you do to determine if you need a shoe with more cushioning or if you need shoes built for quick changes in performance, such as a slip-on model with elastic or Velcro. If you need more support, choose an ankle-supporting jazz boot. Jazz shoes normally come with uppers made of lightweight leather, neoprene or canvas and soles made of rubber or suede. Latin dancers dancing salsa or tango require a strong last, stable heels, and soles that are hard enough for turning on the dance floor. With new dance shoe styles emerging all the time, is important to familiarize yourself with what is available to understand which model feels best for you. Determine if you are looking for dance shoes to wear in class or in performance and buy accordingly.

Common Pitfalls

Buying inappropriate footwear for the kind of dancing you do can damage your feet and ruin a good pair of dance shoes. Fit is paramount. Often dancers forget that most dance shoes stretch to some degree. Avoid buying shoes that are loose, even if the tighter size feels constricting. On the other hand, do not buy dance shoes that are overly small. Try to avoid poor quality materials as they will cause you discomfort and will not last over time. If budget is an issue, see what feels best on your foot and try to determine if the quality of the materials is adequate.