I have tried so many different shoes, I was loving supadance, thier newer line called supafit, but have since fell in LOVE with dancefeel. Kind of hard to find but oh my goodness soooo worth it I prefer a more flexible shoe (I do rhythm) so that I can point easier and go up onto my toes for nicer lines and these are by far the most flexible for me so far (but if anyone has any others that meet this criteria, I like to try new shoes so feel free to make suggestions!!!)

Going higher in heels??? Not me. I have gone from the 2 1/2 thin heels to the thick block heels and my stability is tremendous now. I feel so much more stable as long as the heel has enough bottom surface to it (some latin cuban heels work if they are wide enough). Also, I have trouble with the front of my ankles trying to go up to even 2" anymore (I just tried the other day....at home, the shoes feel great but on the dance floor dancing that is another matter. I started to feel pain going up the front of my shins and I stopped and changed shoes.)

Of course, flat jazz shoes are the most comfortable!

Supadance 1026 is a practice sandal I like.

For esthetics I wish I could go to a thinner or higher heel to dance with taller men (I am 5'5" and one of the guys I dance with is 6'2") but my almost 50 year old body with fibromyalgia/myofascial pain syndrome just won't let me. Heck, I have to stop and use ankle and knee braces and come to dances with carry-on luggage equipped with every possible contingency (including several pairs of dance shoes).

Now I am having problems with slick floors unless the shoes are brand new (worn less than 6 times) and this has been at every place I dance. I guess I am going to try the mineral oil....

HELP!

Laura

Slippery floors. Even though you may not see it a dusty floor can be slippery. Even though the floor looks clean we always run a broom or a dust collecting mop over the floor first. You would be suprised in one sweep how much dirt can be collected. If the floor is unbearably slippery and you have on your shoes a dance sole there you have a choice. Water. and or Soapy Water. Oil mineral or vegetable it doesn't matter. A deodrant stick will also do. The most used here is castor oil. The sole of the shoe will absorbe the oil which is only a very tiny bit.
If you haven't noticed Standard dancers like a floor that has a little bit of give in it. Latin dancers do not.Their feet most of the time come to a dead stop. The hips keep moving over feet that are still.
This is a common complaint by Latin dancers. The floor is always prepared for Standard. Since I bought a pair of practise shoes , for practise, the type with the split soles. It doesn't worry me what floor or which style, I dont slip and aching feet at the end of the night are a thing of the past.