Hello All!

I am very happy to say that I am a novice student and have been dancing for a little over a month and just graduated to Bronze level! I have so completely fallen in love with ballroom dance and I am so excited to learn, progress, and really want to compete!

However, my question is this - what can a beginner reasonably expect, physically? I'm 5'11, Female, ~190lbs, and not out of shape but certainly not slim (hoping to get there soon!). I have bought some Very Fine CD3026 shoes with a 3in heel (http://discountsalsashoes.com/cd3026-black/) that I've been wearing for lessons and group classes for about 3 weeks (~3 or 4 times a week), however, I'm getting a numbing sensation in my toes at times, and my feet are hurting from about mid-arch through the tips of my toes.

- What is considered a reasonable amount of "growing pains" and discomfort, and what are some warning signs that I should look out for?
- Also, approx. by when do feet usually get used to dancing and the discomfort go away?
- Are there ball-of-foot pads I can buy to help with this?
- Is it a good idea to have multiple pairs of shoes with different straps for when feet hurt?

Thanks so much!