Let’s begin from the ground up and talk about footwear. Dance shoes for ladies (as in the real world) vary greatly in style, colour, fabric, length, width, and heel height. The first three are decided based on personal taste. The correct length for you should be left up to someone in the know if you’re still new to this sport. With court shoes (pumps) make sure there is enough room for the toes. The arch of your shoe must also be long enough for your foot. With the latin sandal the dancer’s toes should cover the end of the shoe or even overhang by an eighth of an inch. Please confirm when ordering shoes that you state your English, German, or Canadian Size - this will save return postage and reordering time. For the men who like to wear a very loose, comfortable shoe remember this: the court jester look is out of date. Your foot should reach the end of the shoe with a thin sock without having the toes pushed back.
Width is very important. The shoes for men and women are available in many widths. By making sure that your shoes are snug you will increase the life of the shoe and the support it will give you. Wearing your shoes too tight can damage your feet and worse yet, ruin your evening.
Heel height in a man’s shoe is decided by personal taste and what you intend to demand of it. One inch for smooth and an optional one and a half inches for latin. For the ladies, however, the all perplexing choice is not so simple. The truth is that high heels are not as bad for your back (if it’s healthy) as bad posture. If you have bad posture, heels will intensify the problem and should be avoided. The truth is that heels can be bad for your feet by increasing the pressure on the ball of the foot as the heel gets taller. Fashion trends and vanity have a way of making fools of us all at times.
This brings me to my pet peeve. When I go skiing I don’t get all suited up so that after an hour or so I can kick off my skis and take to the rest of the runs. The same goes for ball players and their gloves, golfers and their clubs, and even includes my brother at a banquet with his dentures. Why then do we see people tossing their shoes past innocent dancers (with audible sighs of relief) into corners of the room? These same people then spend the balance of the evening dancing on their toes, complaining about how slippery the floor is and commenting on how “classy” the whole event has been.
Dance shoes are the tools of our trade, offering good support and years of wear. A little research will pay off in style, comfort, and safety.
