In what shoes do you dance?

[Matt Deckard]

I always seem to be the guy running across the street to by the gal I'm with bandages to add cushioning to her feet.

I as a guy wear dress shoes in which to dance. same shoes I wear to work and to the store. Some guys wear Aris Allen dance shoes (they have a fantastic rep) and I might get some of those myself. I see the ladies wearing alot of keds or converse styles. Dress shoes on them usually only vintage.

I am not a big fan of bleyers... too neo swing for my taste, and the paint rubs of, no leather sole.

What do you prefer?

 

[Caledonia]

Matt, could I recommend the Aris Allen if you decide to go that way. Obviously I've got the ladies stuff, but they really are a delight to wear.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Anything with a leather sole, really. I don't traipse around in 4 inch heels anymore so impromptu dancing is a-ok!

 

[Matt Deckard]

Everytime I go out I see all the old time dancers that i know wearing Aris Allens. Used to be many would be the dress shoe types like me, though they swear the Aris Allens are superb. I'll get a pair. I wish they still had them in brown.

So any ladies companies make the higher heeled shoes that are comfy for you in which to dance? or are they a myth never to be seen?

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Everytime I go out I see all the old time dancers that i know wearing Aris Allens. Used to be many would be the dress shoe types like me, though they swear the Aris Allens are superb. I'll get a pair. I wish they still had them in brown.

I love them too (the rugcutters) but I want to spend more like $40, not $80.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Captoe for guys

Looks pretty sweet
Rugcutter for gals

 

[Caledonia]

I've got exactly those red rug cutters. It's like wearing nothing but air! I haven't found a pair of heels yet that are comfy. Apart from Aris Allen, all the dance company shoes I've tried are hard, unforgiving, cut into your heels, etc. How professional dancers do it I don't know. To be honest, any decently worn in pair of vintage heels are far kinder. They may need a bit of rehydrating, but they're already broken in.

 

[Wild Root]

When I dance, I wear vintage... not trying to sound better then anyone else, that's just what I happen to own. I've been very lucky in finding shoes that fit me and I find new shoes are too much money so, I stick with what I find in the vintage stuff. Some times I do wear a pair of Chucks for more casual dances... it's very "All the Cats Join in"!

=WR=

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I don't dance, but some guy friends of mine do and I've seen what dancing does to vintage men's shoes, especially spectators. True, the shoes are put to good use, and that's the most important thing. Nonetheless, I do feel a slight twinge when seeing a fine pair of vintage spectators get scuffed and worn down to nothing. They die for a good cause, but I kind of prefer seeing dancers in more easily replaceable repro shoes.

.

 

[Wild Root]

I don't dance, but some guy friends of mine do and I've seen what dancing does to vintage men's shoes, especially spectators. True, the shoes are put to good use, and that's the most important thing. Nonetheless, I did feel a slight twinge when seeing a fine pair of vintage spectators get scuffed and worn down to nothing. They die for a good cause, but I kind of prefer seeing dancers in more easily replaceable repro shoes.

.

I feel the same way! I never wear my fancy two tones on the floor! I wear them to dances now and again but, when I do, I do very little dancing if none at all.

My vintage shoes I wear to dance in are a pair of semi beat up white bucks which I can keep clean... also, just brown cap toes that I have plenty of.

=WR=

 

[Matt Deckard]

I used to wear my two tones then i sold them to buy solid colored cap toes

 

[Lauren]

I wear my granny shoes or anything else that doesn't kill my feet or make me fall over.

 

[Matt Deckard]

From what I have heard, modern women's dress shoes can't compare to the vintage granny shoes... I think it's just the construction and the fact that the women't shoes back then had leather soles and were made for daily wear with much more care.

 

[Shimmy Sally]

I wore out my velvet, cross-strap dance slippers, now I'm wearing Keds/Jantzens with duct tape on the bottom for slip-slide. Most of my comfortable shoes are too grip-grabby on the sole. I have extremely high arches so like the support insoles. Sometimes I wear my saddles or dressy vintage kitty swing pumps. I miss the jazz shoes I had in high school; soft leather uppers, suede sole, stacked wood heel. Now all the jazz shoes are split-sole rubber and look too modern dance. A friend is going to give me some pretty swivel wedgies this weekend though.
Jitterbugdoll has the cutest dance shoes of anyone.

 

[zeus36]

Just got these, so I'll be steppin' out in 'em.

 

[Rosie]

From what I have heard, modern women's dress shoes can't compare to the vintage granny shoes... I think it's just the construction and the fact that the women't shoes back then had leather soles and were made for daily wear with much more care.

I find this to be very true plus, vintage shoes are cut different. Newer shoes seem to cut in the back of the heel after being on the floor for a while. Vintae shoes are higher and don't do that as much.

Back on topic. Usually, I start the night out with a comfortable pair of whatever shoes match my outfit but usually, I end the night in stockinged feet or in my beat up old keds. I was going to try a pair of dancing shoes which look cute but are a bit expensive and truthfully, I don't want to spend lots of $$$ on something that isn't more comfortable than what I already have.

 

[Matt Deckard]

Yeah... I see that alot too. I think many dancers are dropping the vintage for the sake of not wanting to ruin their wears nowadays... and that goes for shoes as well. Thoguh when it comes to the ladies wearing vintage shoes versus the ladies wearing modern shoes, the vintage shoes usually stay on and the modern gets swapped out for keds.

Allen Edmond's was making some leather soled high quality shoes for ladies about 5 years ago, though they stopped becuase they didn't sell... Too comfortable I guess.

 

[resortes805]

Well.....

It all depends on the dancers stylistic preference, and the quality or state of the floor. Men's Aris Allens have a hard raw leather sole, so they are perfect for dancers that incorporate alot of slides or spins. However, they can be a little disconcerting if you're dancing a wild charleston with a lot of hopping and skipping, due to the slide factor.

You're best bet is to get with some vintage suede bucks. They tend to be pretty sturdy, and if you have a smooth rubber sole, you have a little more traction than suede and raw leather, but enough traction to not feel 'slippy.' Plus the scuff marks become like battle scars; nothing's cooler than a beat up pair of dirty white bucks!

 

[Shimmy Sally]

These were my favorite dance shoes until I wore them out:

The classic champion Keds being sold now are the same as the original "cheerleader" ones our Mothers and Grandmas wore back in the day.

 

[Paisley]

I've started wearing my 5-year-old Clarks sandals to dance in. The cushioning really does help me dance better, and the thick sole helps me see over the shoulder of my taller Balboa partners.