What kind of ballroom dance shoes do I need?

Various folks have asked me what kind of ballroom dance shoes they should be wearing.

It all depends on what kind of dancing you’re going to be doing!

So here are a few common varieties, and what they are good for:

Latin Heels (for women and men):  These shoes are specially built for dancing latin dances.  They have suede on the bottom for the proper amount of slickness (for turning) and stickiness (so you don’t slip).  The shank (the part under the arch of your foot) is particularly constructed to keep your posture upright and forward instead of falling back away from your partner.  The heel cup is designed to help support your ankle and stay fixed to your foot during quick rotations.  Overall, these shoes may be expensive, but they are custom built to keep your feet and ankles safe during latin dancing and improve your posture and technique.  If you are going to be performing or competing in latin dancing, they are a must.  If you are only dancing for fun or taking beginning lessons, these shoes will make your life more difficult (it is an extra challenge to balance and use your ankles properly when in high heels).  I would only move into heels if you know you are going to be dancing in a performance setting, or if you know you are going to wear them at parties, etc.  If you are going to wear them, you might as well get used to them sooner than later.  For the ladies there are many styles and many heights of heel.  Try them all on and pick the one that is most comfortable – it’s no good having a particular look to your shoe if you’re too uncomfortable to wear it!  Generally, more straps or mesh inbetween the straps will give more stability for beginning dancers.  Fewer straps might look better to some people, but takes more precision to stay balanced.  A one or two inch heel is good for beginning dancers.  Serious competitors usually wear a 2.5 or 3 inch heel, but this is not necessary for parties or social dancing!  If the store you are at doesn’t have exactly what you want, ask them to order it.  Many shoes can be ordered in a variety of colors.  Many dancers choose a “nude” color so that it goes will different costumes, and also so it lengthens the leg line (black or color on your foot shortens the appearance of the leg line).  However, many social dancers prefer a pretty color or sparkly shoes.  Make sure when purchasing sparkly shoes that they are actual dance shoes with the correct angle in the shank and flexibility in the ball of the foot.  Some people sell “normal” shoes with suede attached to the bottom and call them dance shoes.  These shoes might be pretty with lots of sparkles, but they were not constructed on the inside to support your foot and ankle.  Many top brands of latin heels sell for $115-125.  There are some newer brands that are selling for $60-70 (these might be actual dance shoes, but sometimes these don’t last as long).  If the shoe is much cheaper than that, I would question why!

Yes men, you get to wear heels!  This will feel incredibly weird at first (and hey, your heels are only 1 inch!)  Just like for the ladies, these cuban heels will help you dance your Latin dances with the correct poise, posture, and partnering.  You certainly don’t need to wear them just for a party or social dance, especially since they are impractical for smooth / standard dancing.  I would recommend them only for competitive Latin / Rhythm dancers.

Standard / Smooth shoes (also called court shoes or pumps for ladies, or Standard shoes for men):  These shoes are specially built for the traveling dances – waltz, foxtrot, tango, quickstep, and viennese waltz.  They have suede on the bottom for the proper amount of slickness (for turning) and stickiness (so you don’t slip).  The shank (the part under the arch of your foot) is not as extremely angled as a latin shoe, allowing you to roll smoothly through the foot.  The heel cup is designed to help support your ankle and stay fixed to your foot during quick rotations.  Overall, these shoes may be expensive, but they are custom built to keep your feet and ankles safe during smooth and standard dancing and improve your smoothness and technique – especially when moving backwards for the lady!  If you are going to be performing or competing in standard dancing, they are a must.  If you are only dancing for fun or taking beginning lessons, these shoes will make your life more difficult (it is an extra challenge to balance and stride properly when in high heels).  I would only move into heels if you know you are going to be dancing in a performance setting, or if you know you are going to wear them at parties, etc.  If you are going to wear them, you might as well get used to them sooner than later.  These heels can make walking forward more tricky for the lady, but walking backwards much easier.  Considering what you do most of the time, some ladies find it easier to dance in pumps than in flats.  There are a few varieties of smooth / standard shoes.  There are some that I call “elf shoes” that have elastic around front.  When they are left on their own they curl upwards like elf shoes.  They are quite useful for helping you roll backwards, but are considered practice shoes, not performance shoes.  For performance most ladies choose pumps like those pictured that have a smooth contour instead of the wrinkled look of the elf shoes.  Some have straps and some do not, that’s entirely up to you.  If you choose a pair that do not have straps I would recommend getting clear plastic straps to wear with them – there is nothing worse than kicking your shoe off halfway through a performance and needing to finish your routine with one shoe on and one shoe off (I’ve seen it happen – don’t try it!).

Men – if you are going to buy a patent leather pair of standard shoes, buy a little vaseline as well.  The patent leather shoes tend to stick to each other – really annoying when you’re trying to brush your feet in foxtrot!  So grease up the outside of the shoe where it might rub against the other (inside edge of ball of foot) so you don’t get stuck and trip!  Some smooth / standard shoes are as little as $60-70, but most of the good quality shoes are imported from Germany, Italy, or England and cost $110-130.

Ballroom Dance practice shoes (for men or women):  These shoes are pretty darn ugly but really comfortable.  They are great for learning / practicing all partner dances – whether latin, smooth, salsa, or swing.  I like these shoes because they allow you to use your foot properly – there is a lot of flexibility through the ball of the foot.  At the same time you have a little heel to keep your poise forward.  They are super comfortable so you can practice for hours.  And they are not specific to the style, so if you’re going to be dancing lots of different styles you won’t have to keep changing your shoes!  Because they are suede on the bottom they are easy to slide in for the smooth dances.  These are a good all around shoe for practicing and they last a long time.  Some practice shoes are only $70 or so, the imported ones can add up to $120 but last forever.

Dance Sneakers (or jazz sneakers for men or women):  These shoes are super comfortable (I’m wearing a pair right now).  They are not suede bottom, so they can be worn outside without damaging them.  As they can be washed, they can also be worn in bars were there might be alcohol spilled on the floor, or parks were there might be mud or dirt.  This makes them a great shoe for going out on the town dancing in salsa club or lindy in the park.  They are also great for cardio dance classes or other classes that have high impact dancing – as they have a little more structure and cushion than a ballroom shoe.  However, they are not good for smooth /standard dancing as they tend to stick instead of slide.  They are okay for practicing latin / rhythm, however they do not allow you to articulate the joints in the ball of your foot.  This can lead to lazy foot action that will be a problem later in your ballroom dancing.  If you are seriously practicing your latin or standard dancing, this is not a good shoe.  But if you have a great night out on the town or enjoying a dance class at the gym, these are great.

Some stores sell “swing shoes” that are cute shoes based on Blyers.  I think these can look great on guys, and I hear they’re very comfortable for guys who are dancing swing.  But some of the versions they sell for ladies I think are a bit of a stretch.  I don’t see a lot of ladies wearing shoes like this unless they are doing a swing performance piece.

For West Coast swing I see most ladies wearing a sort of low open toe sandal.  Sort of half way inbetween a practice shoe and a latin heel.  A low heel works well for west coast swing, as it keeps you slightly forward poised, looks good in performance, is comfortable for lots of dancing, and doesn’t disrupt your ability to walk!

You don’t want super high heels for any swing – but especially not for Lindy Hop Swing – the heels really mess up where your balance is and your ability to do any bouncing, jumping, or kicking.    For lindy hop swing I recommend flats of some variety – either cute little keds or dance sneakers.
Tango shoes (for Argentine Tango) are yet their own category.  They tend to have *very* high heels and are quite stiff through the ball of the foot and shank.  They are quite solid and feel a little heavier than latin heels.  And sexy.  Really sexy.  I don’t find them all that easy to dance in – but they are useful for the style – they are quite easy to swivel in, keep your very pitched forward towards your partner, and encourage the playful styling of feet and legs that is so important to Argentine Tango dancing.

In short, each dance style has developed the tools that suit it best.  If  you are just beginning it can be good to get an all purpose shoe (like a ballroom dance practice shoe or dance sneaker) until you have a better idea of exactly what dances you are going to be doing.  Go for comfort over looks, at least until you are experience enough to handle those 3 inch heels!  Even an experienced dancer needs to pick the brand and style of shoe that is going to enhance their dancing instead of just look pretty.  Get the proper tool for the job.

Do you have a favorite brand of shoes?  Or found a new great store in the area?  Please comment below so we can all learn from your expertise!