not just any oil...make sure it is castor oil or vitamin E. I use castor oil all the time when I am on a slick floor.

I meant to add:- they get nowhere near having holes or rips in them. I can't imagine letting them get that bad

Hi,

do all dance shoe (particular man's, for standard) have replaceable sole ? are "non skid sole" in shoe care accessories on supadance.com the right one to use/ask for ?

thanks

I use a brush with angled spines too - it's much more effective. I brush front-to-back only. This is adequate to remove small bits of grit etc, and to put a 'nap' on any flattened areas. I NEVER wear my dancing shoes except when on a dance floor.
I have to change the soles and heels of my practice shoes about 3 times per year (that's with about 10 hours' dancing per week) I look upon this as just a part of the sport.
At a competition (where i wear a special pair reserved for comps) the brushing is an important part of the mental and physical preparation for competing

Your reply is interesting, smoothie.
My experience is simply that as time goes on, the nap of the sole becomes more and more difficult to restore, and i'm more likely to lose grip. Eventually, i treasure my feet and lower limbs enough to cough up the €20 (about $20) it costs me to replace them, and the difference is well worth it.
Recently, we started practising in a new hall, and for weeks i was complaining about the slippery floor. Then i changed the soles and heels, and since that moment, i've had no problems.
Maybe you have better materials in the US.

Hi. I'm brand new here...and also to ballroom dancing. My dance instructor told me to put oil on my soles, wait overnight, then brush them. Has anyone else heard of this/done this?

I just rip the heck out of them with the shoe brush. Haven't had the uppers outlast the suede on any of mine yet - but then I wear them a lot and have strong feet that put a lot of stress on them, so they tend to tear in 6 to 9 months. Just love them when they are as soft and fitting as a pair of gloves, right before they fall apart completely.

Odd, I'm dancing more than that, and find the sole material lasts much much longer (heels wear out though). What defines a worn out sole for you? To me, it would only be one with holes/rips in it - they may feel flat with no more nap, but if you dig in with a sharp brush (or a wire wheel I'm told) you can raise more nap.

The 'suede' surface of dance shoe leather is not a natural one - rather what we are really using is a waste product split off the back of the 'grain' type of leather used for the uppers. It was an internal surface to start with, so cutting deeper into it will restore it to factory condition - until you go all the way through it. But I've never gotten there as despite vigorous brushing, the rest of the shoe disintigrates first.

my shoes always get very slippy so i just brush with wire. the only floor i dance on is polished wood!