JJ, This is ScottyBoysDoll, aka. Princess Mary Ann. My Ole' Scotty Boy needs advice on shoes. He has a pair of suede sole practice shoes, and patent leather/ suede sole for actual dances/or performances. Now he needs a Latin shoe. What cha'- cha think? Scott thinks 2" is to high for any "REAL" man! He has agreed to 1.5 ". Should I look for a Cuban Heel? Please let me know, any advice, your personal experience, a students experience , ect. I am a professional shopper, when I know what to shop for! LOL! Thanks!

I work on Latin from time to time but not nearly so much as I do on Standard.

I'd stick with the 1.5 inch; that's what I wear.

Given your active schedule and scottyboy's age, I would advise against trying to work in both Latin and Standard shoes on the same day. The different heights of the heels put differing kinds of stress on the Achilles' tendons. Have him try it but don't let him get too crazy until he knows how his legs react.

During our two-hour sessons, I started out wearing the Latin heels for the first hour and the Standard for the second. While that strategy worked better than wearing the Latins in the second hour, I was still feeling some unpleasant tension in my Achilles' tendons.

Hope this helps.



jj

Yep! Good Point! Even though go in high speed 24/7. He has never done it in heels! We will definitely try Latin the first hour & Standard the 2nd hour. Luckily, our 2 hour classes are laid back & fun. The 1 hour lessons are more detailed & focused. Scotty Boy is a "Standard Guy", too. He just has been interested in Latin for the past few months. I thought he would go back to his Fox & Waltz, but he has been really began to focus on how his Cuban Motion looks & feels. I want to foster any of his interest & encourage growth. Thanks, ScottyBoysDoll
Postscript: The other instructor you suggested we get to look at our dance said, "She thought we were doing pretty good for only 2 years into the sport". She had some suggestions, and we have scheduled a few more sessions with her just to get her opinion on the other dances,as well. We had just never thought to expand outside of our regular instructors. In medicine, they say "it never hurts to get a 2nd opinion", and goes for dance, as well! Thanks,again.

JJ, at our age any special care of the Achilles tendon is extremely important. Mine bark at me more often than I care to admit. But it usually means I have to shut down for a short time. My wife and I are prolific walkers (many miles a day and week) and yoga enthusiasts. So I know my legs are strong, but I also know an Achilles injury, at my age, could take forever to heal and I may never be quite the same.