I'm new to dancing. Before I knew what I was doing I bought expensive Latin sandals which don't provide enough stability for everyday practice. Next, I bought a thirty dollar pair of character shoes to get by with until I can find practice shoes wide enough for my feet. Any suggestions for brand or style?

Second question...The character shoes seem overly silppery compared to the suede sole sandals. Is this usually the difference between ballroom shoes and character shoes?...or is it my lack of skill making me slip on the dance floor?

I've noticed people brushing soles, and I believe I've seen people filing soles. What is all that about? I've also seen heel caps for sale. Are they to be worn while dancing, or to protect the heel from wear while not dancing? When I finally buy a good pair of shoes I want to take good care of them.

Hi Latina
Dance shoes have special soles which supply grip, and yet also allow freedom to turn, spin etc.
The brushing is to restore the 'nap' on the sole. This can become flattened and smooth aver time - especially on some floors.
Heel protectors, as you say, protect the heels. They also protect the floor to some extent, which can be important in some practice venues

"Expensive latin sandals" are designed to provide the proper stability for latin dancing. Maybe you chose shoes that were too high for you or did not have the right straps? I really would advise that you stay away from character shoes as they are designed for a very different style of dancing.

For rhythm/latin, I recommend Supadance sandals with a strap that comes on top of your foot and wraps underneath the shoe as it provides better stability than T-straps or other styles and is great for beginners.

Also, make sure the shoes are tight enough even if they feel a bit small at the beginning. I used to wear a size 5 1/2 (UK size equivalent to about 7 1/2) but I found that the shoes would get too "loose" (and therefore unstable) very quickly. I now wear a size 5 which take a little bit more time to feel comfortable but remain tight on my foot for a long time. I found that International and Eckse also make very good shoes so you should give those a try. All the brands above are fairly expensive but, trust me, your feet, knees and back will thank you and it will also help your technique.

Make sure you initially try shoes on in the store as you need to see if they fit your arch. I love the look of Dance Naturals and Rae Rose shoes but the arch does not feel right for me and I would not have known that merely by looking at them in a catalogue.

Hope that helps!

V.

I finally bought a pair of practice shoes and I'm not very happy with them. Granted, I bought cheap ones, but they're miserable. I'm sure once I break them in, they'll be fine. I'm just in no hurry to put them back on. I thought the whole point was that they were supposed to be much more comfortable to make up for how terribly ugly they are!

What is the heel height on your Latin sandal? Maybe you could try a lower heel height for practice.

I wear Capezio Latin shoes now and I love them (excellent customer service). I also wear heel tips. I'm especially rough on shoes, so they really help me maintain the shoes.

Character shoes don't work for ballroom dancing because they have slick soles, but if the shoes themselves are comfortable, you could have a shoemaker put suede (aka chrome leather) soles on them.

Many latin dance shoes aren't really appropriate for beginners. For example, many advanced dancers like a very flexible forefoot so they can make nice lines, but it takes quite a bit of foot strength to be stable on them.

A practice shoe I loved as a beginner is the Godiva practice shoe by Elegance. They are suede and mesh with a peep toe and a lace-up top so they can adjust to different widths. I got mine at dancehappy.com.

Thank you all for the valuable info. No wonder I was slipping in the character shoes. I mistakenly thought they would be less slippery than suede soles. I'll definitely look at the styles suggested and the heel tips. This time I'll be better informed so I don't waste money on the wrong shoes. There's a store called World Tone in NYC; known for carrying the best selection of shoes. I'm sure they sell the accessories too.

Latina. Don't throw your character shoes away. Go to your local Auto Shop and buy the thin water gasket , its cork and is inexpensive. Cut it to size and shape and stick it on with an ordinary rubberized adessive. Trim the edges . They can be used imediately. The sole lasts forever. Myself because I dance on a variaty of floors have a spare pair of shoes that do have a dance sole of chrome leather, but I have stuck over it the casket sole. If the floor is super fast I stand in some water. Soapy water is fine. If the floor is unbearably fast I apply some oil to the sole. any oil will do. Most here use Castot Oil. This will also work as will all of the above on the ordinary dance sole which is made of chrome leather. Good Luck.

Interesting, I've never heard of dancing on cork soles. I think I would find them too sticky.

If you plan to use soapy water or oil, make sure you check with the owner of the floor before you do. Leaving oil on the floor for other people to slip on, for example, isn't a good idea.

Ellen. Water casket which is a cork substance will not make your shoes stick to the floor. The thinnest one is the most desirable and is sold in sheets usually in a roll. When even with the ordinary chrome leather , if the floor is badly prepared, a visit to the toilet and a slash of water on the floor with some of the liquid soap provided with do the trick. If using oil it can be applied by hand. I saw one top dancer using a deodrant stick instead of messy oil. In the past I have used a dab off the dip stick of my car. That was a bit of an emergency on that day. The floor was like a skating rink. In one place I used to go a wet tea cloth was placed in the corner where all could used. In another the wet cloth was in a tray. I would imagine that maybe you always dance on the same floor. Have you ever found where the exact opposite happens. The floor is so slow you can't move without lifting the feet from the floor. Thats why I have several pairs of shoes on hand. Better to be prepared than have a miserable nights dancing.

Wow, I'm learning a lot about shoes! I'll definitely try putting the cork or the suede on the soles of my character shoes, to use until I find a good pair of practice shoes. The Supadance Latins with the strap wrapping under and over the foot sound great. As I become more experienced I bet I'll have different shoes for different floors too. In fact I have a pair of street shoes with a particular type of hard rubber sole that works well on a very good floor. Of course I can't do any double turns yet.

Ellen, the forefoot on my Latin sandals (Capezios), is quite floppy as you say. I'll save them until I'm more experienced.

I'm making a list of all the brands/styles suggested here, which I plan to carry in my purse when I shop for shoes. I found a site featuring moderately priced custom made practice shoes, BUT...if they don't fit or wear well, they can't be returned. It's a good idea though.

As a new dancer, I find this site very helpful. I recommend it to the other new dancers.