Hi everyone!

I've been an avid dancer for years, mainly focusing on classical ballet. Well, this summer my boyfriend and I are taking beginner swing, merengue, and salsa lessons. As I am a beginner I don't want to invest a lot of money in dance shoes. Does anyone have any suggestions about what shoes I should wear for these beginner classes? Would regular heels work?

Hi,

I would get some sort of practice shoe as shown on this page:

http://www.showtimedanceshoes.com/sho/showprod.cfm?&DID=7&ObjectGroup_ID=8&CATID=2

These are fairly pricey, but Capezio makes a cheaper version and you can find them on the internet, but best to try them on first if you can find a place that sells them.

Also, I have dance sneakers and they are great, too. They are comfortable and you can dance easily in them. I am not sure what the brand is, but I can check. I think they were around $55.

Good luck with your lessons!

Elviebird:

The main traits to consider are shoes that will allow you to move/turn/spin on the floor without sticking, but will stop you instead of sending you into the splits on a slick floor, and that will support your foot when doing fast moves so you won't twist your ankles.

Where will you be taking lessons and practicing? If in a regular studio, sueded bottom shoes would be best.

Many dancers who dance only swing find a comfortable pair of shoes (tennis shoes even) and have the bottoms sueded by a cobbler (or do it themselves).

Salsa and merengue (especially if you will be dancing these in a club atmosphere) would lend themselves to high heels, but you don't have to have super high heels. They just make the leg line look better. Whatever pair you decide on, make sure the shoes fit securely to your feet with no "sloshing" room for your foot to slide around in. Loose shoes develop blisters and make you unsteady on your feet.
Latin shoes are designed with an open toe so that ladies can get a secure fit at the ankle and ball of the foot, and the toes can grip the floor.

There is no reason to get sueded bottom shoes if you will be dancing in a nightclub with regular beer/liquor/soda spills on the floor, just keep in mind the qualities mentioned above for any "street" shoes you may want to wear.

Once you start dancing, you may decide you really like it and can then invest in the more expensive shoes designed specifically for dancing.

Good luck to you and your boyfriend.

Bonnie

I have never owned professional dance shoes, though I am trying to purchase some now.
You'll find when you start out, it's best to wear your most comfortable heels. For me, that was a pair of 1 and a half inch, closed toe shoes with inch wide heels, plastic soles, and insoles. However, as you get better, tou can move on to higher shoes (I got up to a two inch heel, next). Eventually, you will be comfortable in what used to look very unsteady. My favorite dance shoes right now are 3 and a half inch stilletto heels, and they tie like roman sandals. I have only been dancing for one and a half years!
No you do not "need" dance shoes, though they really do help in the long run. If you really like dancing, investing in a good pair would be a wise decision. Untill then you can just use regular dress shoes, and maybe have suede applied to the bottom. One lady I know of glues felt on the bottom of her shoes!
Have fun dancing!
Kelly

PS Don't limit yourself to latin/swing. Try a little of everything!

You can get some GREAT ballroom shoes for CHEAP on Ebay. Regular heels aren't sueded on the bottom, you could hurt yourself, plus you would need an ankle strap. Ebay- $40. Check it out.