How To Buy Dance Shoes

The popularity of such television shows as "Dancing with the Stars" have even ordinary people from all walks of life considering learning how to dance. Dancing can provide great exercise and hours of pleasure, but not if your feet hurt or you are wearing regular street shoes that don't easily accommodate some of the fancy footwork required by dancing.

Whether you want to perfect an energetic tap dance, a sultry tango, a happy go lucky swing dance or commit to becoming the world's most graceful ballroom dancer, there are dance shoes specifically designed to help make your foot movements easier and more fluid, especially if dancing has become a serious hobby and you are out on the dance floor two to three nights or more each week, it's smart to invest in a quality-made pair of dance shoes.

Ballroom dance shoes are probably the most popular and versatile, a category of shoe that's designed for both ballroom and swing dancing. These shoes are designed to be extremely light weight, usually with a steel shank running along the bottom of the sole to provide maximum support. They also feature suede soles which help you to grip the floor without slipping, yet still have enough maneuverability so you don't get caught up and trip over your own two feet. The shank support is a matter of preference and less expensive shoes come without it. Bend the shoe toward the center holding both ends and if it collapses, you know the shoe is missing this support shank. A well-constructed pair of ballroom dance shoes costs between $100 and $150, but can last 10 years or more. High quality ballroom dance shoes also feature cushioning that allow you to dance pain-free for hours.

Ballroom dance shoes come in a variety of heel sizes, with the ballroom heel a normal low cut, the Latin heel a bit higher and angled, and the Tango heel even higher and more tilted to accommodate your posture doing each of these dances.

Be sure you are wearing the socks or stockings you will be wearing while dancing when you go to buy dance shoes and don't buy them based merely by size. Judge a dance shoe by the way it feels on your foot. It should feel snug without pinching or squeezing. Try out a few dance movements while wearing the shoes to notice if they start to pull or pinch while in motion. Give yourself enough time to decide on the right shoe and try on different sizes of different brands for a good comparison before making your final purchase.