The best shoes for
swing dancing
We are BJ Dance Towels. We create sweat towels for dancers and musicians, but we truely believe that you should get some good dance shoes before you get a Dance Towel. A Dance Towel is a great accessoire and a great present for any dancer who cares about their partners, but good dance shoes are important to protect your joints. If you dance swing or latin or standard, get good dance shoes first and then get a real BJ Dance Towel to get rid of the sweat immediately after.
Table of content:
- A quick guide about what's most important about shoes for Swing dancing
- The full list of all swing dancing shoe brands
- Amy's Dance Shoe Review
A quick guide on what's important about shoes for Swing Dancing
The soles are the most important part of your dance shoes
- Rubber usually has the most grip that will help you on slippery floors, but don't even try to do spins on a sticky floor, you will feel like you are glued to the ground. (There are some dance shoes with a special spin friendly rubber sole though.) Many use ordinary sneakers for training though, if they know they don't have to spin.
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Suede leather/chome leather is the most versatile, because you can change its texture. (I am doing that on the picture here ) It's the most common sole for ballroom dance shoes for a reason. (And I won that competition, so clearly it must have been the shoes! ;)
- Pure leather is the most slippery sole and you can slide the best with it. Most professional swing dancers use this for swing dancing, but it requires more control, technique and strength in the legs. It's the easiest on the joints, but the hardest on the muscles.
Shoes for swing dancing have rather flat heels
Many ballroom dances are danced primarily on the forefoot. In swing dances you use the whole foot to dance, including the heel. Mens and unisex shoes typically have a rather flat heel. For womens shoes, there are 2 options: Flat heel and about 3 cm heel. Both are viable options, just remember that the higher your heel, the less heelslides you will be able to do, dancing on heels can be more tiring for your feet if you are not used to it and ... heels really hurt when you step on someone's toes. (For your first swing dancing shoes: pick a flat heel.)
It should be mentioned that for Balboa shoes, many dancers prefere to get shoes with a very thin leather front sole and then have the heel replaced to a 1,5cm heel either in leather or half leather.
What really matters is inside the shoe
Yes, I know, I want my shoes to be pretty, too. But ... What's most important about your dancing shoes is their material and how the sole is created on the inside. Real good dance shoes are made from very soft leather because its most durable and flexible and they have all got varying degrees of dampening material inside of them which will help your joints dampen the impact of dancing all night long.
Here, there is no real "right" or "wrong" some people prefere the shoe to feel like they are dancing barefoot with almost no dampening, some people prefere a lot of dampening so they are dancing like they are on clouds and some peoples joints just need more support from the inner sole (like me).
When looking for your dancing shoes make sure you look at the dampening inside. The more dampening and the softer the leather, the longer hours you will be able to dance in them.
How much money should you spend on dancing shoes?
Let me set one thing straight first: Noone gets rich from selling dance shoes! All brands you see here are small brands that just get by and during the last years many of them went out of business.
Your shoes are the most important part of your equipment, yes, even more important than your Dance Towel. ;)
If you want a good dance shoe that will last, be prepared to spend around 150€ for it. (Sometimes you get lucky for less, but... don't be surprised about the amount.) Most of the shoes in this list here are mini series, handcrafted and carefully developed to be perfect for swing dancing and they are absolutely worth it!
I have used all kinds of shoes for swing dancing so far. from cheap ones for 10€ (which lasted for a total of 1 evening till the inner sole was done) up to 250€ ones, which I use for staged performances and festivals. You only ever really need one pair of good dance shoes and if you take care of them they will last you a lifetime.
What about those cool dance shoe hacks I've heard of?
Honestly... most of them don't really work. And I've tried almost all of them.
- Tape on the soles will rubb off and ruin the dancefloor for everybody.
- Gluing suede soles onto normal shoes needs to be done by a professional to actually last and you will still end up with a shoe that is not built to withstand daily dancing. It just won't last.
- Dance socks will wear out very fast and you will have very slippery spots and very sticky spots on your shoes, which will mess you up while dancing. It also looks pretty bad to be perfectly honest.
- Lacquer or glue on the soles... I heard that's supposed to be for very very sticky bar floors... well... basically everything you put under your soles will get hot and rub off onto the floor. ... Please don't ruin floors ... that will get you in trouble with dancers and owners alike.
The most complete list of swing dancing shoe brands on the internet.
Here you will surely find what you are looking for! Dance shoe brands owned by swing dancers and alternatives from all over the world in one place. Your ultimate swing dance shoe ressource. Including personal opinions by Amy Sorenson in Amy's Dance Shoe Review.
Active Swing dance shoe brands by Swing dancers
Aris Allen
Swing dancing shoes designed by the DC/Baltimore swing dancing community offering true vintage reproductions as well as modern dance sneakers.
For a personal review on Aris Allen dance shoes, see Amy's Dance Shoe Review below
Balboa and vintage swing dance shoes from Korea.
For a personal review on Balboa Zin dance shoes, see Amy's Dance Shoe Review below.
Boun' Shoes
Bounce Shoes are swing dance shoes made in Italy. (Even if you don't need new shoes, just check out the style of the pictures on the website, these are just awesome!)
Comfydance_Shoes
Swing dance and street shoes handmade in Mexico. They don't have a website, only this instagram account, but you can order via DM.
For a personal review on Comfydance Shoes dance shoes, see Amy's Dance Shoe Review below
Dansskor.se
A dance shoe company based in Sweden that sells dance shoes for swing and all other dances. Viktor and Wilma Edlund are often seen dancing in their shoes.
FROMChloehong
Online and local swing dance clothing and shoes store from the Republic of Korea. They also recreated the famous jacket of "Whiteys Lindy Hoppers" for Frankie 100.
Groovy Fox
Vintage-inspired swing dancing shoes from Bulgaria.
Harlemology
These shoes are designed by Harlem swing dancer and band leader Dandy Wellington. They are in his signature vintage style, they will surely work for swing dancing, but they are not especially designed for swing dancing.
Harlem Shoes
Custom made swing dancing shoes designed in Ukraine, manufactured in Turkey.
Jazz 'n Fashion
Custom retro and vintage dance shoes from Istambul / Turkey.
Millelire
A very quickly growing company creating swing dance shoes and acessoires like bags, caps and watches and and and ... made in Italy.
If you want a personal review on Mille Lire dance shoes, check out the review by Tanya & Sondre on youtube.
Hepcats
Swing Dancing shoes designed and manufactured in Poland.
Madam Dynamite
Swing Dancing shoes and accessories designed in Spain.
For a personal review on Comfydance Shoes dance shoes, see Amy's Dance Shoe Review below
Re-Mix Vintage Shoes
Faithful reproductions of classic shoes from the 1910s to the early 1960s designed in Los Angeles.
For a personal review on Re-Mix Shoes dance shoes, see Amy's Dance Shoe Review below
Rosinante Shoes
A Korean swing shoe brand that also offers wingtip and swingstyle sneakers for dancers. Their linked site is in Korean, but you can meet them at e.g. the snowball or look at their english FB-Page
RueSnob
Milan based handmade Swing, Tango, Latin and Jazz shoes offering collections created by Vincenzo Fesi and Tania&Charlie.
Saf Shoes
A North American shoe swing dancing and tap shoe brand creating genderless stock and made to measure shoes.
Saint Savoy
Shoes for dancers designed in honour of the 20s - 50s in Vienna, Austria, produced in Spain. These are some of the most commonly used swing dancing shoes in europe, and for good reason.
Swing dancing shoe brand from South Korea (Seoul) creating highly customiseable shoes, by Kim Bong-jun.
Slide & Swing
Swing dancing shoes and acessories, made from leather, handcrafted in Spain.
For a personal review on Slide & Swing dance shoes, see Amy's Dance Shoe Review below
SuAli Shoes
Swing dancing shoes from Italy, founded by Susy and Alice.
Swingin' Shoes
Limited edition modern dance shoes and accessories designed in Lithuania by Pamela. For their shoes they use leftoves from the industrial leather production, so their designs and colors are very limited, making every shoe special and environmentaly friendly.
Swing It
Swing era inspired clothing, accessories and shoes from Poland, based on original patterns from 1930 – 1960.
(Our friends from Swing It also bring you Dance Towels to the festivals they go to. Meet them and say hallo for us, they are lovely!)
Swing love
Swing dancing shoes and acessoires from Vietnam.
Swingz Begona Cervera
Vintage and modern swing dancing shoes from Spain
Swivells
Swing dancing and streetwear shoes designed in Paris, handmade in Spain. (Official sponsor of the Frankie Manning Foundation)
Tranky Shoes
Handcrafted swing dancing Shoes passionate about '40s and '50s vintage style from Italy. (It might look strange that they only have a fb page and no website, but they are very real - I know, becausse we were selling next to them at Rock that Swing - and you can mostly find them in person at festivals.)
Volare
Luxury custom handmade dance shoes, designed in Detroit, USA, handcrafted in Turkey.
For a personal review on Volare dance shoes dance shoes, see Amy's Dance Shoe Review below.
Dance Shoe brands that also make shoes for Swing dancing
Fuego
Fuego are dance shoes that dont look like dance shoes. (Almost like the Dance Towels, which are towels that don't look like towels;) ) They have become quite popular in the last 2 years in the us and have plastic soles. They claim to be a dance shoe for all surfaces and are mainly popular in the HipHop and Salsa scene, but are slowly finding their way into Lindy Hop and Swing dances, too. Most Lindy or Swing dancers use those for rough surfaces. I've heard they are great for "terrible" floors, but on good floors its hard to keep tracktion.
If you want a personal review on Fuego dance shoes, check out Amy's Dance Shoe Review below.
Rumpf
Rumpf is a dance shoe brand that has expanded into dance wear. They offer all kinds of dance shoes, including some good Swing dancing shoes.
Since these are often dance shoes that are used for standard and latin dances, too, expect the mens shoes to have a little higher heel than you would expect from mens casual or dress shoes.
PS: I'm very proud to say that this model on their website is actually a friend of ours from Kassel, Germany. :)
Diamant
A 150 year old dance shoe brand from Germany.
They create all kinds of dance shoes with all kinds of soles. You have to just browse through what they offer and find one that suits your needs. For men they offer normal heel and high heel. You don't want to chose high heel for swing dancing, but also the normal heel will be a real heel, thats higher than what you are used to in your sneakers.
Non Dance-Shoes that are often used by swing dancers
Toms
Many Swing dancers first "dance shoes" are Toms. And when they say "Toms" they mean the Alpargata variant of Toms.
Toms are a great beginner Swing dancer choice. They are relatively cheap, look casual, and you can use them as normal shoes, too, once you get yourself "real" dance shoes.
The issue with Toms is their durability and their sole. Toms can look identical from the top, but can have vastly different soles underneath. Since the sole is very important for dancing, you basically need to find out if that particular shoe that you are going to buy also has the particular sole that you are trying to get. And since they are changing all the time, this is a rather tricky process (especially for beginners). Ask an experienced dancer who also uses Toms to go shopping with you, if you want Toms.
Since they are made from cotton and not made for dancing in particular, Toms will wear out rather quickly. Expect them to last maybe 1-2 years of dancing max.
They are very light, which is nice, but they dont offer any support for your foot.
I wear mine for outdoor dances on stone and gravel surfaces, where I don't want to ruin my real swing dancing shoes.
Keds
Keds are often used by swing dancers because of their light material, casual look and flat sole. (And because many people have some already.)
They are good for beginner Lindy Hoppers, because they are relatively inexpensive and should you stop dancing, you can still use them as normal shoes.
They are also great for outdoor dances, which are pretty common in the Swing dancing community, where you don't want to ruin your "real" dancing shoes.
They wear out pretty quickly though since they are not made for dancing in particular, so expect them to last about 1 year of dancing max. Also you need to pay close attention to the sole of the particular shoe since they change the recipe for their soles quite often and two pairs of the same shoe can have different stickyness of their soles.
Written by: Benedikt Jockenhöfer, who is a long time swing dancer, instructor and MC and the founder of BJ Dance Towels.
*pictured wearing Madame Dynamite - Mini Dynamites at Swing Paradise 2022. Photo by Antanas Minkevicius
Amy's Dance Shoe Review
Who is Amy and why do I care what she thinks?
Amy Sorenson began swing dancing at Arizona State University in 2006 and took to it like a fish to water. She has built a Collegiate Shag scene from scratch in San Francisco, she is working on building a Balboa scene from little more in Houston where she presently resides, and she also runs the Shag scene in Houston. She teaches Collegiate Shag, Lindy Hop, and Balboa, and also competes internationally in Collegiate Shag. She helps organize and run both local and national dance events. AND she also loves dance shoes and talking about dance shoes.
Style: Generally prefers a low heel across all the dances. Less concerned with style than fit/comfort, unless dressing up for special occasions. Bonus for fun vintage aesthetics!
Fit: Typically wears size 8½ US street shoes and 8 US dance shoes 38½ EU. No particular foot issues or sensitivities (e.g bunions, arch support, etc.)
Materials and Care: Typically prefers leather shoes or alternatives. Is not concerned about “high-maintenance” shoes. Not put off by leather conditioning or suede brushing. Happy to have different shoes for different floors.
Dance Notes: Shag is her primary dance, but she also dances Balboa and Lindy Hop at Advanced Levels. She loves to be able to put shuffle-y and slide-y elements into her dancing. She likes to feel the floor and be able to play with foot articulations.
Aris Allen:
Background: Anyone who has been dancing for a long period probably already knows that these shoes have seriously gone down in quality over time. The old Aris Allen’s are fantastic and will last forever, the new ones not so much. That said these shoes are great for someone new to dancing looking for a dedicated pair of dance shoes that isn’t sure they want to make a huge investment in shoes yet. They are cheaper and often have sales going on that allow you to get them for even less.
Style: I like their ked style sneakers as a practice shoe for Shag or Lindy and have worn through many pairs of them. I also use the white ked style sneaker for a performance shoe, as it is a common look for teams. When referring this brand to people I always warn them to stay away from the “cute” non-sneaker shoes. The last time I got some the outside started peeling off the first time I wore them.
Fit: The top/side seam for this shoe is past the ball of the foot towards the arch. I wear a size 8 US in these shoes which is true to size for me.
Materials and Care: I only use the white canvas shoes for the performances as they get dirty very easily (cleaning tip - a q-tip dipped in bleach is great for spot cleaning this kind of shoe - wet the spot and try to rub out with water first, then gently rub with the bleach q-tip, the water also helps make sure the bleach does not just eat through your shoe). These shoes have a suede bottom and as such should only be worn on smooth, not sticky, indoor floors.
Order Time: In my experience shoes generally take about a week to two weeks for delivery.
The website has specifics stating they ship within 3 days, then take 2-4 business days East of the Mississippi, 3-6 business days west of the Mississippi, 5-9 business days to the Northwest US, and 7-15 days to Alaska and Hawaii.
Dance Notes: These shoes are extremely lightweight, flexible, and thin. You can easily feel the floor through these shoes, and they work well for texturing footwork.
Balboa Zin:
Style: Empress. Balboa Zin are customizable and semi-customizable shoes. You can select your heel height and they have a section for any information you want to provide about your feet such as measurements or foot condition (such as flat arches) so they can help make the shoe the most comfortable for you. They also have a custom order link if you want to select your own color combinations or submit a drawing of the shoe style you would like. The style I selected has vents on top of the shoe which are stylish and allow the foot to breathe more easily.
Fit: I received them on a day we were hosting Shag practice and decided to wear them that night. I fully expected to change out the shoes during the practice as they would be breaking in, but didn’t need to. I also love that this brand has ½ European sizes, which I do not see very often. They run true to size and I wear a 38 ½ in these shoes. They have a seam directly before the ball of the foot after the toes. I have not experienced any stretching in the shoe, but they also fit me perfectly so they may just not have any stretching to do.
Materials and Care: The pair of shoes I ordered is leather with a hard leather sole and wood heel. They have material options for the heels of the shoes on some of the shoes and you can choose what works best for you. As these shoes are all leather they do need to be conditioned especially in more humid climates. You should condition both the uppers and soles of the shoes to keep them in their best condition. When wearing leathers you should try to keep them dry, do not go out in the rain or walk in puddles whenever possible.
Order time: Expect shoes to take about 1 month to receive. This is what they advertise on the website and was accurate in my experience.
Dance Notes: These shoes are lightweight making them easy to dance in all night. I often find wood heels start to feel hard after a few hours of wear and these shoes are no exception to that. The all leather soles are great for sliding. The shoes work well for texturing and feeling the floor and will be great for any swing dance style.
Comfy Dance:
Style: Derby. Did you know that they make a shoe that isn’t a boot!?!? A lot of people don’t realize this as they mostly do boots, and as I prefer to not have the ankle coverage I was very excited to learn this. It is the same shape as their boots, but doesn’t extend upwards.
Fit: The upper shoe is a soft leather and does not need breaking in, they are ready to go for a night of dancing as soon as you receive them. The seam on this shoe is directly past the ball of the foot towards the arch. I wear a size 8 US in these shoes.
Materials and Care: The shoe is 100% leather upper and sole with a wood heel. These shoes, as they advertise, are comfortable. The shoe is good for indoor or outdoor use, but avoid puddles and wet grass if you are outdoors (it isn’t good for the leather). Also be aware that rough surfaces will tear up the sole of the shoe if you are dancing outside.
Order time: The shoes are made to order and it will take some time to receive them - be prepared for about a 6+ week wait period.
Dance Notes: These shoes are lightweight making them easy to dance in all night. I often find wood heels start to feel hard after a few hours of wear and these shoes are no exception to that. The all leather soles are great for sliding. The shoes work well for texturing and feeling the floor and will be great for any swing dance style.
Fuegos:
Style: Lowtop. This is a dance sneaker, so it is a casual shoe. If you are looking for something to dress up with, this is not the brand for you. They have a cushion of about ½ inch thickness in the sole, and for this reason, this is my favorite shoe for dancing outdoors on concrete, hard tile, or brick.
Fit: The ball of the foot is a little tight. I do not feel a seam on the inside of the shoe. If you are looking to be able to texture your footwork I would recommend the split sole over the low top or high top version of the shoe. The split sole runs smaller than the low top or the high top sneaker, so while I wear the low top in an 8 US, I would order 8.5 US for the split sole.
Materials and Care: Fabric uppers, patented sole technology. If you want to clean the white side of the sole from scuff marks or just dirt a magic eraser works great.
Dance Notes: Let’s start with the claim that these shoes dance on all surfaces - they don’t. They do not do well with humid floors, nor rough surfaces. They do great on smooth concrete, smooth brick, hard tile, wood, etc. I have also found that these are not the best shoes for randomly sliding across dance floors with your friends, the turning circle on the sole left a mark on the floor and made the slide stutter. These shoes are not good for feeling the floor.
Madam Dynamite:
Style: The Blucher is a lovely vintage style shoe that is fantastic for those vintage looks. It is well crafted and comfortable for short term wear - maybe an evening dance.
Fit: The seam for this shoe is above the ball of the foot and does not pass through the inner lining, so the shoe is a little thicker at the point of the seam, but it should not be felt. I wear a 39 in this shoe.
Materials and Care: I find that the wood heel on this shoe feels hard when wearing it for extended periods, so while I may wear it to an evening dance I do not want to be wearing it all day. This shoe has a leather sole and the upper is lined in leather. Like all leather shoes they should receive conditioning for both the body and sole of the shoe; this is especially necessary in humid climates. The shoe works well for both indoor and outdoor use, but avoid puddles and wet grass if you are outdoors (it isn’t good for the leather). Also be aware that rough surfaces will tear up the sole of the shoe if you are dancing outside.
Dance Notes: The thick wood heel makes these shoes on the heavier side. The full leather makes them great for slides. These are not my favorite shoes for texturing, but they do better than something like the Fuegos.
Style: The Mini Dynamite is a classy shoe that I love to dress up with. The strappy enclosed toe is elegant and comfortable.
Fit: These shoes stretch easily so don’t wear them with socks if you want to later wear them without socks. The small heel is a tapered style with a plastic cap. I have two pairs of these, one is older than the other and on the older pair, the straps around the toe are a little thinner and my little toe will sometimes slip between them, so I always wear that pair with socks. I do not have this issue with the newer pair. As a strappy shoe it has several seams at the front of the foot and they will hit on the ball of the foot and other areas; this is not a good shoe for someone with sensitivities to this. The t-strap on these shoes hits a little lower on the foot than I would prefer and the fit is a little loose for me as a result, so my heel will rub. As such I mostly wear the pair I wear with socks and save the other pair for specific looks and special occasions. I wear a 39 in this shoe.
Materials and Care: This shoe has a leather sole and the upper is lined in leather. Like all leather shoes they should receive conditioning for both the body and sole of the shoe; this is especially necessary in humid climates. The shoe works well for both indoor and outdoor use, but avoid puddles and wet grass if you are outdoors (it isn’t good for the leather). Also be aware that rough surfaces will tear up the sole of the shoe if you are dancing outside.
Dance Notes: Be careful doing heel pops in these shoes as the taper might result in them slipping out from under you if your weight is not placed exactly right. These shoes are great for texturing and feeling the floor. They work well for any swing dance style.
Remix:
Style: The Cassie boot is a great shoe that I mostly use for period dancing as it has a great 1800s feel to the style.
Fit: The shoe runs small. I typically wear an 8.5 US in sneakers and an 8 US for dance shoes, but these boots I need in an 8.5. For me I find that the toe feels tight with longer wear and do not want to be wearing them for more than an hour or two; I should probably point out here that I have toes that are mostly flat across (all end very close to the same length except the little toe). The seam on these shoes is before the ball of the foot and is not felt on the inside of the shoe.
Materials and Care: They are 100% leather and will break in with wear. The leather uppers are extremely soft and supple and feel great. Like all leather shoes they should receive conditioning for both the body and sole of the shoe; this is especially necessary in humid climates. The shoe works well for both indoor and outdoor use, but avoid puddles and wet grass if you are outdoors it isn’t good for the leather, also be aware that rough surfaces will tear up the sole of the shoe if you are dancing.
Dance Notes: I occasionally use this shoe as a heel for dancing Balboa. You can feel the floor well in these shoes. They work for texturing footwork, but are not my favorite for foot articulations.
Style: The Spectator wedge is a gorgeous shoe. This shoe has a peep toe with a perforated upper which allows the shoe to breathe. The breathable upper is especially nice in hot ballrooms or hot weather.
Fit: The seam on this shoe is the peep toe plus a seam down the length of the upper side on both sides of the foot, not directly on the ball. I wear an 8 US in these shoes.
Materials and Care: The heel cap is plastic so if heel slides are something you are into you will want to have it replaced with a hard leather. The shoe is full leather and as such needs to be conditioned especially in humid climates. The shoe is good for indoor or outdoor use, but avoid puddles and wet grass if you are outdoors (it isn’t good for the leather). Also be aware that rough surfaces will tear up the sole of the shoe if you are dancing outside.
Dance Notes: I wear this shoe for Shag competitions and social dances where I expect to switch between dance styles; its intermediate height gives some lift for Balboa without making it harder to Shag or Lindy Hop. There is something about these shoes (probably the thicker sole through the arch) that makes me lose some of the texture to my Balboa footwork so while I like it for social dancing between styles I would definitely not recommend them for a Balboa competition or even for a night where you expect to be doing almost all Balboa. The shoe is also on the heavier end of the spectrum and you may find it slows you down for speed dancing if you have not trained with it.
Style: The Pleated Toe 2 wedge is the same sole as the Specator wedge with a different upper.
Fit: This shoe has a pleated strap across the toe, with three seams (the first is the peep toe at the end, the second is across the toes and the third where the strap ends above the ball of the foot) and an ankle strap. The ankle strap on the shoe is the ideal height for me and keeps the shoe well secured without my foot sliding in the shoe. I wear an 8 US in these shoes.
Materials and Care: The heel cap is plastic so if heel slides are something you are into you will want to have it replaced with a hard leather. The shoe is also on the heavier end of the spectrum and you may find it slows you down for speed dancing if you have not trained with it. The shoe is full leather and as such needs to be conditioned especially in humid climates. The shoe is good for indoor or outdoor use, but avoid puddles and wet grass if you are outdoors it isn’t good for the leather, also be aware that rough surfaces will tear up the sole of the shoe if you are dancing.
Dance Notes: I wear it for social dances where I expect to switch between dance styles; its intermediate height gives some lift for Balboa without making it harder to Shag or Lindy Hop. There is something about these shoes (probably the thicker sole through the arch) that makes me lose some of the texture to my Balboa footwork so while I like it for social dancing between styles, I would definitely not recommend them for a Balboa competition or even for a night where you expect to be doing almost all Balboa.
Style: The Saddle Oxford is perfect for any 1950’s look.
Fit: The upper leather and shape of this shoe is very firm and does not change with wear. The seam on this shoe is above the ball of the foot. I wear an 8 US in these shoes.
Materials and Care: This shoe has a large ribbed rubber heel. The shoe is full leather and as such needs to be conditioned especially in humid climates. The shoe is good for indoor or outdoor use, but avoid puddles and wet grass if you are outdoors it isn’t good for the leather, also be aware that rough surfaces will tear up the sole of the shoe if you are dancing.
Dance Notes: The rubber heel is problematic, for me, in a dance shoe as the rubber will grip the floor. If you are looking for something to help ground you coming out of aerials this may be a good option, but as someone who tends to pulse through the floor I find it slows me down and makes my Shag in particular harder. I recommend replacing it with a hard leather heel to remove these issues. The shoe is on the heavier end of the spectrum so even barring the heel issues you may find it slows you down if you have not trained with the weight of the shoe.
Slide and Swing
Style: Model 6002L is currently my favorite dance shoe, unfortunately it is a style they are not currently making. The shoe covers the toe, but has side cut outs to allow it to breathe
Fit: The cutouts are before the ball of the foot and no seam can be felt on the inside of the shoe. The t-strap style is comfortable and secures the shoe well to my foot. I wear a 38 in these shoes.
Materials and Care: It is a soft leather upper that is extremely comfortable, leather sole, and wood heel with a smooth rubber covering. The shoe is full leather and as such needs to be conditioned, especially in humid climates. The shoe is good for indoor or outdoor use, but avoid puddles and wet grass if you are outdoors it isn’t good for the leather, also be aware that rough surfaces will tear up the sole of the shoe if you are dancing.
Dance Notes: It is a lightweight shoe and works well for foot articulations. The shoe slides well without being overly slippery.
*This is a picture of my own worn and loved dance shoes as I could not find any stock photos.
Style: Model 2021 is also currently not made by the company; it is sort of a cross between the Eva with its single piece fabric full body and the Charleston with its small full heel. I got it in a shiny fabric that is mostly black with burgundy undertones when the light catches it which is just amazing. I like this shoe a lot, but I don’t like to wear them out too often because I am afraid of messing them up.
Fit: I wear a 38 in these shoes, but would probably prefer a 38½ or 39, they did not have the shoe in a 39 when I bought them.
Materials and Care: These shoes have a full leather lined interior and leather sole and do not breathe, as a result I have to condition these shoes after every wear or the leather gets hard - this makes them difficult to get on and off and also makes them less comfortable to wear. Conditioned and cared for properly they do not have this issue. The shoe is good for indoor or outdoor use, but avoid puddles and wet grass if you are outdoors it isn’t good for the leather, also be aware that rough surfaces will tear up the sole of the shoe if you are dancing.
Dance Notes: These shoes are great for slides and articulate well for footwork.
*This is a picture of my own worn and loved dance shoes as I could not find any stock photos.
Volare
Background: I want to start by saying I hear very good things about this shoe brand from people whose opinion I trust and respect (e.g such as the fit is fantastic and they are very comfortable). For that reason I was very excited to get my own pair.
Style: Diamante
Fit: Despite this being a shoe company that custom fits them to your feet, and having drawn the outline of my foot, the shoes don’t fit me. There is a gap between my foot and the outside of the shoe at the front, and they do not feel secure on my foot. I have messaged the company and not received a response. I would like to try again with this brand given the reviews I have from others, but would need them to either take the outline of my foot themselves so there are no mistakes, or try on a pre-made shoe. I will not custom mail order from them again.
Materials and Care: The elastic that holds the buckle on to the shoe is extremely rough on the pair I received and tore two pairs of stockings and rubbed my foot raw when I tried to wear them.
Order Time: My partner ordered them for me as a birthday gift, we ordered them at the beginning of October 2022. I received them mid-January 2023.
If you have some personal experience or info you think we should mention on this page, e.g. other shoe brands you know that are not included here, please comment below. We can all benefit from more information.