Ballroom dance shoes and other tips

Suggestions for Ballroom Dance Shoes

Men's Shoes: The main feature that men need to be concerned with on their dance shoes is the sole. There must be flexibility so that you can flex the toes and stand on the toes, as is required for some dance moves. Dance shoes for men can be very stiff, and in order to test this, you need to bend the toe of the shoe upwards. The main thing is to make sure that the base and sole of the shoe is flexible, because even if the uppers contain soft leather, the shoes will be difficult to dance in if the base and sole are not flexible. If swing dancing is your style, you may want to purchase old-fashioned spats that are commonly used in swing dance.

Women's shoes: It is a little more complicated to choose the proper pair of women's shoes. There are more features to consider with women's shoes than there are with men's shoes. Do not wear slip-ons or any other type of shoe that may come off easily while dancing. It is best to wear a closed shoe, or even a more open shoe that has straps to keep the shoe affixed to your foot. However, shoes with open toes may put undue pressure on the sides of the feet which may cause blisters. No matter what shoe you choose, the important thing is to make sure they fit your feet well.

Open Heel Shoes: It is best to have a full shoe around the heel so that you don't step out of, or off of, the shoes while you are dancing. You may select open heels with study straps to hold your feet. Some dressy type shoes rely on straps, but are not secure enough to avoid having the feet step off of the heel when making quick turns. These types of shoes generally are not conducive to the types of dances that require twists and turns, because the shoes could actually break during the middle of a dance. Cheaper shoes are especially vulnerable to this occurrence. So if you really want to wear open heel shoes, make sure they are good quality shoes that will withstand all of the necessary dance maneuvers.
 

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