Mary Ann wears shoes that are perfect for her particular back problems but I would not recommend buying any other shoes except a proper ballroom shoe with suede soles. In a latin shoe you need a great deal of flexibility so you can point your toes and grip the floor. A standard shoe needs to have support but the suede soles are important for moving on the floor. You should try to get a standard shoe with a strap across the top of the foot. In both types of shoes, I would suggest no higher than a 2 1/2 inch heel.