Hi everyone,
I'm hoping some people can shed some light on this subject for me:
I've started competing more seriously in both international latin and standard and I have found that a lot of the shoes that I've bought previously just don't seem to cut it. What do people look for when buying shoes (other than if it fits and feels comfortable?)
Also, is there a rating system out there that says which company is best in terms of comfort/quality?

Thanks in advance :)

I don't know of a rating system, but I can speak from my own personal experience. I had to try many different brands, styles, and sizes before I found the ultimate shoe for me. And I tried all the high-quality brands. Each brand, and even each brand's style, is designed a little differently, so what is best for one person isn't necessarily the best for another.

Sad to say, but I've spent about 7 years experimenting to find the best shoe for me, and tried all these different brands:
Freed (tried one style)
International (tried four styles, and two sizes)
Werner Kern (tried one style)
Capezio (tried two styles, and two sizes)
Supadance (tried two styles)
Dance Naturals (tried one style, and two sizes)
Diamant (tried one style, and two sizes)

So I've tried over a dozen different brand/style/size combinations, and have finally found shoes that I really like.

I highly recommend all the brands listed above *except* Capezio. I didn't like Capezio because even though they are much less expensive than the other brands, they wear out and fall apart much faster.

I personally think the best shoes are Dance Naturals, but they are very soft through the shank (arch) area when you buy them. This is great if you have very strong feet and want and need the flexibility. But if your feet aren't strong enough, there won't be enough support and you'll roll to the outside. I last tried wearing Dance Naturals about a year and a half ago, I want to try them again because my feet are a lot stronger now.

Right now I'm wearing Diamant. They are the shoe that fits my foot shape the best.

Other people like Supadance the best, others swear by International. It really does depend on which brand and style fits your own personal foot shape the best.

Good luck!

I did the same. You just try shoes until you find the one that fits your foot the best. For me it is Freed.

I agree with the Capezio commemt as well. For an internationl standard shoe I found that the heel is not constructed right, or not placed correctly on the shoe. After just a little time you are off balance because of the heel. I love the shape of the shoe, but just cant deal with the heel issue.

Hmmm, thanks for the info guys - I'll look out for these brands.
The one main challenge I have is that a lot of the vendors here in my city do not carry a lot of competition shoes so I have to order online (so it's kind of a hit and miss.. and gets very expensive if the shoe isn't right!) - does anyone have any suggestions for ladies' latin shoes that have a narrower heel and a wider toe area?

thanks!!!

One of the best ways to find shoes is to go to a larger competition where they have visiting vendors and try on shoes there. Once you know what you want and need, you can just keep reordering via mail.