What Shoes to Wear to Dance Class

Ballet slippers can be made of canvas, satin or soft leather.

The plethora of shoes available for dance classes makes the choices almost overwhelming. Choosing the right shoes will make getting through arduous dance classes easier on your feet, and practicing in them will help prepare you to use them in performance or on a dance floor.

Ballet

Ballet shoes are flexible slippers that let the feet move and breathe. They can be made from canvas, satin (worn only during performances) or soft leather, with flexible soles so that the feet can bend easily. By tradition, women’s ballet slippers are pink and men’s are white or black. Additionally, tan ballet slippers, which may be worn by either sex, were designed to give the impression that the dancer is barefoot.

Ballroom

Ballroom shoes come several types, such as swing dance, Latin, tango and practice. All have a steel shank for arch support, suede soles for traction on hardwood floors, snap closures on the buckles and extra cushioning under the foot for comfort. Latin shoes are open-toed, with a 2-to-3-inch heel, to allow maximum horizontal flexibility. They usually have a heel cup for stability, and often have a T-strap for the same reason. T-strapped ballroom shoes are considered best for beginners because of the added stability.

Tap

Tap shoes are generally made of canvas, leather, plastic and wood. They come in either the Mary Jane (single ribbon bow tie) style or the Oxford (flat leather) style. It’s possible to find tap shoes with heels, but these are harder to dance in. Fit is especially important in tap shoes, because if they don‘t fit right the sound will be distorted. The taps are adjustable (by loosening or tightening screws) to produce different sounds. Clogging shoes are a kind of tap shoes.

Jazz

Jazz shoes are used not only for jazz dance, but also for rock 'n' roll, hip-hop, aerobics and acrobatic dance. They can be high- or low-rise slip-ons, or they may be soft lace-up Oxfords. Often jazz shoes have a split sole for ease of bending the foot. Some have rubber soles for extra cushioning. Jazz shoes often have a suede patch on the bottom for traction on hard floors. Many have shock-absorbing heels and reinforced toes.

References

• Ballroom Dancing