hi!

i'm going to start taking ballroom dancing lessons and need to buy shoes. Salsa, and latin lessons are first on the list. i've tried on the latin shoes (open toe, open back) and was uncomfortable with how much they bent and wobbled when i walked. i am not a small woman and would feel better with a character shoe, one that has more support. i've had a torn tendon in the arch of each foot within the past 4 years. what kind of shoe would you recommend i buy?

thanks for your help.

You might want to get what's called a practice shoe. They are the most comfortable and supportive, especially if you have foot problems. Unless you are planning to compete, you can really wear any shoe that's comfortable for you.

My favorite is the Elegance Godiva practice shoe. It's a mostly closed shoe with a small open toe and is a lot prettier than most practice shoes. You can find it at dancehappy.com.

If you want to get a closed shoe, you can get a shoe designed for Standard or Smooth style dancing. Standard shoes are closed pumps and Smooth shoes have closed toes and heels with open sides. What are strictly called "character" shoes are not ballroom shoes and I've heard they are not balanced in the best way for ballroom dancing.

If you do want to get a sandal-style Latin shoe, Celebrity shoes allows you to order shoes with a choice of heels, some of which are lower and wider than the typical Latin shoe. As a beginner, I used the "Monet" heel which was very stable.

Just make sure that your shoes are comfortable and you feel stable on them. You need to take good care of your feet!

There's a big difference between a latin shoe and a salsa shoe.

Salsa shoes look like latinf but with very thick heels. The salsa teachers here tell me it's because the lady sometimes leads and needs a stronger support base.

As Ellen said, you could start with practice shoes. You can see some examples on my wife's (still out of date) website that she sells to members of her own club here in Victoria, BC, Canada.

OB

http://www.dancingdragon52.com

Donna. Open back . Never. your foot will flop up and down within the shoe.

TRY GLITTERSTARZ - theyve got some great dance shoes and skirts...and ship fast too

GLITTERSTARZ

donna,

Never go with a open back shoe it does not give the right support.

I wear Amys After 5 brand. They are fully padded from the heel to the toe and unlike other brands I've tried the padding does not flatten out right away so it stays cushioned longer. They are a fairly new brand but I find them to be more comfortable and made of better materials then even the top brands. And they are 1/2 the price of the top brands! (About $70) Plus my balance improved when I started wearing them and they don‘t wear out as fast as other brands. Do to their quality I have found that they give me amazing support. I defiantly recommend giving them a try.

of course you recommend these shoes. You *sell* them