Dancers need good shoes on the dance floor. This is especially true for female dancers. Whether you are a Salsa, Swing, Ballroom or Latin dancer, you need good quality dance shoes. So, what makes a shoe good for dancing? First of all, dance shoes have to be light and flexible. You don’t want your shoe to impede your motion while dancing. Dance shoes usually have extra sole cushioning for comfort and should be perfectly fitted to the feet,
Choosing the Right Dance Shoes:
Each dance usually requires a specific type of dancing shoe. Male Ballroom and Salsa dancers typically go for low heeled shoes made out of leather or suede. Latin Ballroom dancers need shoes that have heels as high as one and a half inches. Female Latin and Salsa dancers need to don shoes with an open toe heel or sandals with straps. This is essential because such dance requires exquisite movement of the toes. On the other hand, female Swing and Ballroom dancers often opt for closed-toe shoes with lower heels.
The Types of Straps
1. Traditional Ankle Strap:Shoes with ankle straps are used by women of all ages. However, it is unsafe to wear these shoes on a dance floor.
2. T-Strap:Shoes with T-straps are good for relieving pressure off the ankle. Foot is secured more evenly because the t-strap is connected to the shoe’s base.
3. X-Strap: Shoes with X-straps secure your foot to the shoe firmly. You can go for shoes with X-strap around the ankle or around the arch. You can also use double X-strap shoes for better grip on the dance floor.
Size Of The Shoe Heels:
The range of heel sizes goes from half an inch to 4 inches with 2 to 3 inches being the most common heel heights. Dancers are well aware that a half inch difference in their heels from their usual height could alter their performance. Beginners are usually advised to use shoes with heels as short as two and a half inches.
Like its height, heels can also be of different thickness. For those looking for better comfort and balance, the thick but low heels is the ideal one. A low but thick heel helps distribute your body weight more evenly on your feet.
Salsa dancers of today are often seen wearing stiletto which is a skinny type of heel. Another popular skinny heel is the flare heel although it is wider at the bottom than the stiletto heel.
Size of The Shoes:
The size of the dance shoes is typically the same as the size of your other shoes. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. dancers with narrow feet should go for dance shoes which are slightly smaller than their normal shoes. Conversely, dancers with wider feet should go for shoes that are slightly bigger than their normal size of shoes. This would make the shoes fit in your feet properly and avoid any pain during the dance.
A good quality pair of dance shoes could is usually priced between $50 and $150. If you want to look at different options, then the best place to start your search is the internet. Check out different varieties of dance shoes and choose the one that will suit your feet as well as budget.