Do-It-Yourself swing shoes

[KittyT]

I've seen instructions for making your own suede soles to make any shoes, even sneakers, into shoes that are acceptable for swing dancing (http://www.gottadance.org/DIY_suede_soles.shtml)

I've seen recommendations for using gaffer tape instead, as an easier, cheaper, more temporary solution. I've also seen recommendations for using stick-on name tags, moleskin and other items on the soles of your shoes to make them more slippery for dancing. Have any of the dancers here every tried any of these tricks? How well do they work?

I have a pair of saddle shoes that I want to wear out dancing over the long weekend, but they have white rubber soles that are all sorts of wrong for dancing!

 

[bigshoe]

If you follow those instructions you will get a perfect job. It is exactly what I have done for the local square dancers for years.

 

[KittyT]

If you follow those instructions you will get a perfect job. It is exactly what I have done for the local square dancers for years.

Thanks, that's great to hear!

Have you ever tried any of the more temporary solutions? As these are my saddle shoes, which get normal street wear pretty often, I don't think I'd want to put suede soles on them, but a temporary solution that will hold up for one night of heavy dancing would be great.

 

[Absinthe_1900]

Perhaps double sided crepe tape?

http://industrialtape.thomasnet.com/viewitems/shurtape-174-pressure-sensitive-tapes/double-sided-tape?&forward=1

 

[bigshoe]

you could try rubber cement on a small spot it should allow you to peel off the leather later.

 

[Paisley]

Kitty, I've never tried it, but some of my fellow dancers have:

http://23skidooland.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1124&sid=015af7d793dc5759bf7e3a2c08667a28

 

[~*Red*~]

I've sueded about 5 pairs of my shoes for dancing. It's super easy. I haven't had a problem with them leather coming off or anything. And in fact, My Bleyer cork wedges, the original suede sole came off those (very thin too!) and I replaced them with a thicker suede. I did the "go to Micheal's" bit.

 

[KittyT]

Thanks for the info, Red and Paisley! In the future I'll probably try this, but as I said, for now I'm really looking for a temporary solution, and was just wondering if any of the dancers had tried any of the many recommended fixes for making their shoe soles more slippery.

I'm going to try gaffing tape and see how that works.

 

[Paisley]

Oh, I did put duct tape on the soles of my shoes once. I couldn't get it off.

 

[KittyT]

Oh, I did put duct tape on the soles of my shoes once. I couldn't get it off.

How was it for dancing?

 

[The Wingnut]

I didn't have leather soled shoes for the first swing dance that I went to, so I bought moleskin and cut it to shape to fit the front half of my shoes. I tucked the two pieces into my pocket before I left and put them on right before I hit the floor. Yanked them off at the end of the night. They left a little residue behind, but that eventually went away with wear.

Worked great! I'd recommend it only as a temporary solution, as the stuff gets torn up by anything but a smooth floor.

 

[ShooShooBaby]

i've always danced in vintage or repro shoes, and have never actually altered the bottoms of any of them. this includes my rubber-sole saddle and school shoes! i've always been puzzled by the need to alter shoe-bottoms for swing dancing - it's never been necessary for me. [huh]