by Ernest Capraro

Created on: August 29, 2008

The ballroom floor is a wonderfully smooth surface, across which the ballroom dancers may gracefully glide, pivot and whirl. The dancers need shoes that are well suited to this flooring, and the motions they will be enacting.

The ballroom floor is not unlike a basketball court. Likewise, if you come out wearing rubber-soled shoes, they will grip the floor. Whereas this is an advantage in sports that require quick bursts of speed, sudden stops and starts in new directions, it is anathema to the dancer. Shoes that grip place immense strain on the joints (knees and hips especially) as they dancer tries to execute smooth controlled turns, and reduces flowing motions to jerky endeavors. Leave the gym shoes off the dance floor. Even dancing in socks is preferable to them.

The ideal shoes for ballroom dance should have leather soles. (It isn't enough to have soul when you dance, you have to have soles too, you see.) Leather soles provide enough traction that you don't slide as though on ice, but they pivot and slide smoothly, without placing undue strain on your knees. Many dress shoes still come with leather soles, and companies even sell leather soled "dance shoes" which are specifically designed for the dance floor. These latter can be quite expensive. For people who don't care for dress shoes, there is another option. Most shoe repair stores can attach a new sole to any pair of shoes. The sole you want for dance is "chrome leather". You can even take your most comfortable pair of sneakers to the local shoe repair, and have the leather soles added. It may be the case that he simply glues them to the molded rubber of your existing soles, or he may be able to actually replace the soles. That will depend on the shoe. Either way, your comfy sneakers have then become comfy dancing shoes (with your own style to boot).

The other thing to really consider when choosing your dance shoes is support. Appearance is nice, and sole is necessary, but if you plan to spend several hours moving about the floor, you do need the proper support to protect your joints and muscles. The dance floor is just as good a place to pick up injuries and sore muscles as the gym if you aren't careful. When you try on shoes, check for proper arch support, a little cushioning, and a width that keeps your foot from sliding side to side. Make sure that you spend several minutes going through basic dancing motions in the new shoes. Walking isn't going to tell you how they'll perform on the floor. (How often do you actually move in a straight line for more than a few steps?) Put them through the paces, the salesperson will understand.

Finally, a warning. Actual dance shoes are expensive. Consider your needs before spending several hundred dollars on a pair of shoes you may only be using on occasion. If you're a competitive dancer, then it is probably going to be worth the investment, but if you only dance at weddings, don't waste your money. This is probably truer for men than women, as men's shoes generally are constructed fairly solidly. For women, you want to make sure that any heels and straps are strong and secure, lest something break and take you to the floor abruptly as you execute a grand flourishing motion. You can still find attractive shoes with the strength needed, but it probably won't be at the mall.

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