SALSA DANCE SHOES
Salsa Shoe Reviews
Kurt Lichtmann
Cornell University, Ithaca NY

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SHOE REVIEWS
USUALLY, you want your dance shoes to be LIGHTWEIGHT, fitting close to the foot, not adding much length & width outside the foot, able to slide, & SPIN with ease, good CUSHIONING & ARCH SUPPORT (insole can be added later). It is difficult to execute fancy footwork in a heavy shoe. (if you don't do fancy footwork, no prob). Serious dancers often have one type of shoe for classes & practice, and fancier pairs for social dance. But some people have a thing that goes like this: "Salsa is a street dance. I dance in street shoes, period." So even among our top dancers, I have seen some "interesting" shoes in local clubs, included here is a sampling, with comments.
Character Shoes
for ladies 		A low heel, a modest look. Closed toe for dance floor safety and modesty. T-strap version available as well. Capezio and others make these. Very popular to start out, wide heel for balance. Suitable for ballroom as well. under $40.

High Heels
for ladies

Feeling more daring? The open-toe, sandal high heel is pretty hot. There are numerous versions of this style, with mesh, rhinestones, various colors (red!), etc. These Tara Abrazos are indeed pricey - $185. Also suitable for ballroom. Generally, shoes with this look run around $100.
Latin shoes
for guys

You will always see someone wearing these at a latin dance. They are also common in the ballroom world. Why a tall guy wants to bump his height up another 1-2" is beyond me. However, I can see how shorter guys would like them. But I am also not attracted to the look of the so-called guys "cuban heel." Perhaps I am in the minority on this topic. I also don't like the way they pitch the weight forward. I prefer a more grounded movement style, but others like these shoes for the very reasons that I don't.
Ballroom shoes
for guys 		A fairly common choice for guys. They have all the right characteristics. You can find 1/2" heels as well as the standard 1" heels. I prefer the lower heel, but then again, I am already 6 ft tall. I also don' t like my weight pitched forward for Salsa. I like a grounded feel. You will always see several guys wearing these at a dance.

Dance Sneakers:
SANSHA
Salsette III
uni-sex

This is my current all-purpose comfort favorite - for both teaching and club dancing. Salsa, swing, ballroom, etc. Suede sole is standard. Great internal memory foam cushioning - no extra cushioning needed. Mesh uppers breath, and help make the shoe very lightweight. Insane low price: $25. www.nydancestore.com. Of course, I have a second pair with hard leather soles, treated with floor wax. Sizing: a men's street 10 to a Sansa size 15, considerably more than their suggested equivalent.
Aris Allen Wingtip
for guys 		Not just for swing, popular for dress-up salsa too. There are many variations on this spectator or wingtip shoe, but Aris Allen at www.dancestore.com has definitely gotten it right - lightweight, fits as close to the foot as they can get, great internal padding - needs no inserts, gorgeous, top quality, and slick for sliding.
CUSTOM
for guys &
for ladies		 That's right. Custom dance shoes made for you in the USA. Perhaps you like the Cap Toe or Spectator look, but you are tired of the norm. Maybe you want ivory and navy, or faux snakeskin, or like my pair shown here, chocolate and tan. Many styles for guys and gals. Suede or hard leather soles. Very lightweight. 6-8 weeks wait. It's worth the wait. Under $150. Ask for Ginni at www.stepnout.com
Dance Sneakers:
CAPEZIO, BLOCH, DANSKIN
   uni-sex   
 Not super spinny, but you can get a leather sole put on at a good shoe repair place (Ithaca - Cobbler's Cottage in small mall opposite side of Rt 13 from K Mart). The Bloch DRT has plenty of cushioning & support, maybe too much? Some of these dance sneakers put you so far off the floor, you don't even know there is a floor. If you are short, you will be taller. Slight disadvantage: if you are tall, it will make you lots taller.
BLEYER
BALBOA
for guys 		The Bleyer Balboa has a nice salsa look. $60 price range. Lightweight, mine fit me perfectly. The $20 Bleyer memory foam inserts are quite good. Made in Germany. Savoy Style  (888) 507-2869
Jazz shoes:
SANSHA JS3
uni-sex 		If your feet are super healthy, maybe you can get away with these. Lycra & Spandex, split sole, Sansha JS3, a cheap jazz shoe wth a suede sole! A mere $13.00 !?!?! Super low to the floor, ultra lightweight. Super fast footwork shoe. The Lycra and Spandex form closely to the foot, and once your foot is in there, has a great look. Protect your feet! Add a top quality memory foam or Spenco rubber insert. More? Wear Thorlo walking socks WX13 - great padding, moisture wicking (yes, you CAN get black Thorlos). Are you a TALL guy or gal? Why wear shoes that are going to make you tower over your partners even more? Sizing is a pain: I tried 3 sizes before I nailed it. I wear a solid men's 10 - the SJ3 size 14 finally fit great.
Bowling shoes

Some dancers love 'em (cushioning, plus slippery sole.)
They tend to be a bit clunky, not so good for fancy footwork.
Good for dancers with three feet (shown).

Chinese slippers
for ladies 		Some women love these. They are cheap (under $10),
but no support, and little cushioning.
Put in a Spenco athletic or thick memory foam cushion,
and you'll like them better.
Oxfords
guys 		Oxfords tend to be heavy and clunky.
It may be possible for your shoe repair expert to replace the rubber sole with leather or suede. Yes, I've done that on a pair of beloved shoes. It worked out great.
BASS Weejuns
uni-sex    		A pretty laid-back looking shoes, BASS Weejuns are the classic Carolina Shag shoe as well. If you want to spend lots more for a more comfy shoe, try the COLE HAAN: several upscale versions of the classic penny loafer. Any loafer will do, however. (Leather soles for sliding and spinning, of course.)
Tango shoes Some women like laced tango shoes, others prefer the hot look of black high heels (with fish-net stockings, tight short dress, etc.). Lycra material looks way cool for men or ladies. And you don't need to polish it!. WORLD TONE MUSIC has them. Also SHOWTIME DANCE SHOES, Georgia (800) 433-5541.
Basketball shoes Not so good for salsa: they grip the floor,
they are big, they don't flex well.
If the treads are worn down, maybe ok.
otherwise, they are floor-grippers.
Running shoes Not so good for salsa: they grip the floor,
If the treads are worn down, maybe ok.
otherwise, they are floor-grippers.
Motorcycle
Boots		 Not recommended, for obvious reasons. But I have seen them on the feet of some really top notch dancers. For the rest of us, these boots don't naturally lend themselves to fast footwork, that's for sure.
Flip-flops Some people love to dance salsa in beach thongs. Well, rock on dudes and dudettes. What can I say? I wouldn't recommend flip-flops, however - loose fitting, no support, not spin-worthy, etc..
Tennies Not a great choice for salsa: they grip the floor,
If the treads are worn down, maybe ok.
otherwise, they are floor-grippers.
Bare feet

Not so good for salsa: unless you are in a real "roots" kind of mood. Bare feet grip the floor, you cannot spin. it hurts more when you get stepped on, or stub your toe. It is pretty hard on the balls of your feet. In spite of all this, some people like to dance barefoot or sock footed.

WHERE TO GET 'EM
Dance LIGHTLY on a clean rug to try out new shoes. Returning scuffed shoes is an impossibility!
Find out return-exchange policy BEFORE you order. Minimize grief!
BODY GEAR - Ithaca NY
center of Ithaca Commons.
273-4327		 Local to Ithaca NY. In Ithaca, try here first. Capezio, Danskin and Bloch Dance Sneakers. Ballroom & Latin shoes. Exchanges only, no refunds. Nice folks.
DANCE FASHIONS
Colorado
(800) 624-6480 catalog		 Lowest prices and fast delivery:
$19.95+ship for Jazz Oxfords #117.
$34.95+ship for Jazz Sneaker #214
NEW YORK DANCE STORE
customerservice@nydancestore.com
South Carolina
1-800-398-9562		 Lots of Sanshas you didn't know existed.
Ballroom, Salsa, Swing shoes.
Minimum order $40.

WORLD TONE MUSIC
New York City
(212) 691-1934 catalog

 Options galore and fast delivery:
Jazz oxfords $26-$60. In stock, fast delivery.
www.dancestore.com
410-849-3700
Crownsville, MD		 Great clothes, too. Aris Allen spectator shoes..
Great source for wide-leg swishy dance pants,
various colors, materials!
SHOWTIME DANCE SHOES
Georgia (800) 433-5541.		 Options galore and fast delivery: Ballroom, Tango, Salsa shoes for guys and gals. In stock, fast delivery.

www.stepnout.com
Mauston WI
(800)335-2668 catalog

 Custom dance shoes for gals and guys. I am pretty happy with my pair. Ask for Ginni Hustad.

SHOE DANGERS

Can you mess up your feet, ankles and knees with your favorite shoes? YES.

1. If you don't have enough cushioning on the bottom, you won't notice the pain too much during the excitement of dancing, but over a period of weeks and months, you can cause long term injury to the muscle tissue in the area around the ball of the foot. You will definitely notice it when you sit down, and the next day and the next when you are not even dancing..

2. Arch support - ever hear of fallen arches? You need decent arch support.

3. Trying to spin in shoes that grip the floor? (rubber soles) really hard on your knees and ankles. Better to walk through those turns heel-toe style if you are wearing floor-gripprers on difficult floors.

4. You love the look of those too-tight shoes? Watch your toes go numb over time. Leave some room for you toes, please.

5. You will find out soon enough if your shoe/sock combo is giving you blisters. The wounds will heal eventually.You don't need me to tell you to find other shoes, or use some preventative pads, or whatever. I suggest some slippery socks, like Thorlos, Adidas and Nike make some socks for runners that are great for dancing - padding, ventilation, moisture control, and they don't cause blisters. No more cotton socks for me.

6. Do your heels wear down at an angle toward the outside? As the heels wear more and more, it is pretty rough on your KNEES JOINTS! Fix the heels or get new shoes.


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