What is an appropriate heel height on dance shoes. I am a beginner looking to buy a comfotable pair of dance shoes and I cant decide between 2.5 or 3 inches. Is 3 inches too much ? Any recommendations, suggestions orcomments are welcome.

2.5 inches is very popular. I read an article once, I think it was by a Candian (I'm thinking Pierre Allaire or Jean-Marc Generaux) about how heel hight affects the amount of ankle extention the lady can peform. The higher the heel, the less amplitude she can create through her ankles. His point was that the extra 1/2" you get in height might not matter as compared to the amount of amplitude you'd lose through your ankles.

Personally, I think beginners should go with a lower heel. I would vacillate back and forth between 2" and 2.5" when I was learning. I tried dancing in 3" heels and although it worked for Latin there was no way I could continue it for Standard. So, if you're doing Standard go lower, but if you're doing only Latin then higher isn't as much as a bad deal because in Latin you want to be over the balls of your feet anyway and the higher shoes will put you there.

Anna Smith. A high heel for Latin will give you a better leg and foot line than will a lower heel. Having said that , nothing looks worse than a young beginner struggling to keep balanced in a heel too high. Also take into consideration that a Latin sandal is for Latin. A court shoe is for Ballroom. My experience with a Latin shoe dancing Modern is my partner managed to put her heel through the strap of the other shoe, trapping her feet. Down she went.

i learned in 2.5 inch heels. progressed to 3 inch heels. i danced rythm, latin and smooth in the same 3 inch heels (when i finally could afford smooth shoes it took 6 weeks to special order them and sadly i wasnt able to compete in the new smoth shoes) the sugestion of getting lower heels for smooth and/or standard is a good idea, but if you tend to pratice in your strappy latin shoes of a higher heel because they are more comfortable (they tende to be) then switch to your smooth/standard for competition, it will off set your ballance. i know a girl who wears 3.5 inch heels, her feet are super tiny so shes like danceing on her toes, but only wears the heels for competeing. she always pratices in dance sneakers which are flat. her performance suffers from the height change and she dosent do as well as she should. if your used to dancieng at one height, dont mess with it too much.

i would VERY VERY VERY strongly recommend learning with a low heel= 2 in. if absolutely necessary...try 2.5, but i would not suggest it. shoes can actually cause major damage to your feet if the heel is too high. for instance...my best friend tried moving up to a different height too soon, and it caused her huge problems..like her feet would be really sore...or even more serious issues, like actually disturbing the natural alignment and form of her foot. better yet, i would suggest starting with practice shoes. they are super comfy AND have a pretty low heel...1-1.5 in.

granted pratice shoes are comfy, but if you can only afford one pair, most women arent going to buy ugly pratice shoes no matter how comfy they are. i think that 2 inches is a little low, higher heels gives the dancer an atvantage any way, and unless the dancer has never worn hells before or has pre existing foot problems, id say go with 2.5 inches and stick with them as long as you feel comfortable and move up as you feel you should. as for the problems higher heels can cause, i just want to point out that ALL high heels can cause foot problems, not just dance shoes. i kinda think taht pratice shoes are a waste of money for beginners any way. a new dancer needs to get useed to the type of shoe they will be primaraly danceing in and the best way to do that is to dance in those shoes. as for your friends feet being really sore, there is a reason most girls at highschool dances ditch their heels after 1/2 an hour, they make their feet sore. no matter what heel you use, if you dance alot, your feel ater going to be sore. ive had bad shoes give me more than just sore feet in the past. just remember whatever heel size a dancer decides to go with, get good quality shoes. theres a reason that all the shoes in the dance store are over $100 and the ones on the internet are $45. (please learn from my mistake)

anna

if you do decide to go ahead and buy a heel...get 2-2.5 MAX. as you stated, you are beginner...and beginners should not be starting out with too high of heels. i mean think about it...would it be better to strut out on the dance floor in a little lower heels you can walk (and dance!!) in...or desperately try to hang on to your partner to keep from falling. i prefer the first. i still stand on my opinion of starting with practice shoes (no matter how ugly..besides...its not like you compete in them so who cares!). they will warm you up to the feel of having a heel...the gradually move up a little more when you feel 300% comfortable and confident. i do however agree with crimson...buy a good pair. TRUST us...its totally worth it.