It isn’t surprising to see amateur dancers struggling to choose the right dance gear, shoes and accessories. However, the journey remains a downhill task until you start to know why you must pick a specific shoe.
Dancing with your regular shoes on makes you feel conscious about your feet and not the moves! In most cases, you will leave your rehearsals with pressing foot pain or, you might even trip, stumble or fall while you practice. Undeniably, dance shoes are a must-have even if you have just started at the dance school. Be it the size, fabric or comfort, and wrong choices can turn pretty expensive!
Knowing the Types
According to a survey from 2014, there were more than 1000 dance professionals in Australia, and the count is growing! If you are looking for a career or feeding your passion, here is all you need to know about choosing the right dance shoes. To begin with, understand that just like the different types of dances, there are discrete shoes for each dance type!
You can wear ballet shoes to tap dancing. It makes no sense! So, once you have decided which dance is your flex, shopping for shoes becomes much more relaxing!
Here is a list of dance shoe types you must know,
1. Ballet shoes
Ballet slippers have turned a revolution in ballet dancing since the early years after ballerinas decided to strip off heels from their shoes. Today, you would encounter ballet dancers going for heel-less shoes, so their foot moves and articulates are pretty prominent. However, you can still choose heeled ballet shoes if you want a pair of them!
Further, you have divisions in ballet slippers based on some prime factors. If you are a beginner, full sole shoes are the best to buy – they offer your foot an added and extra stability. However, in later stages, you can shift to split sole shoes that make pointing the foot easier.
When it comes to fabric, canvas shoes are the best to buy for rehearsals and practices and satin shoes can go well on special days and events. On the higher cost-end, you have durable and classic leather shoes to buy.
2. Jazz shoes
Unlike ballet, jazz dance involves forceful rhythms and getting a pair of jazz shoes is the right thing to do! These shoes are lightweight, sleeky and slip-on for ease of wearing. These shoes play a vital role to support your foot during the split leaps or landing jumps, safeguarding your foot from intense injuries.
Again, you can pick full sole shoes initially and then go for split sole shoes. Both provide the extra grip that a jazz dancer needs. Beginners can choose elastic shoes as they offer a snuggle fit without effort. However, you can also choose lace jazz shoes if you want to customise the fit.
3. Tap shoes
Tap shoes resemble regular lace shoes but have integrated metal chips that create a tapping sound hitting the dance floor. These shoes have mild heels with metal taps screwed at the heel and the ball.
There is a soundboard attached to most tap shoes to safeguard the metal taps. Tap shoes are usually black, but you still have colour choices. However, choosing the metal tap’s size and weight solely depends on what type of sound your dance needs.
4. Dance Sneakers
If you are into hip hop and feel your regular shoes are annoying, dance sneakers are the best to buy. Street dances and hip hops do not have a distinct shoe type, unlike other dances. However, since your foot needs support during impulsive moves, most brands have launched dance sneakers today! These shoes are fashionable, they last longer, are durable and offer arch and heel support.