My Ballroom Dance Shoes

Sometimes it is worth the wait to get your shoes special ordered for your correct size than to get standard size shoes. Narrow ballroom dance shoes can be ordered just as wide width and special heel heights. I like the 2.5 inch heel height the best, but a lot of people will wear the shorter heel. I have worn the 3 inch heels, but they will make the balls of my feet hurt if I wear them for along time. Choose the shoes that makes you the most comfortable, you can also get them to make you look good.

Ballroom dances are a lot of fun. When going regularly to social ballroom dances, you will meet people from every walk of life. I love to sit out a dance or two and watch all the other dancers. Every dance has it’s own steps, but each person will personalize the dance to make it theirs. There are as many different touches to dances that makes it personal as there are individuals.
Some women like to wear high heel ballroom dance shoes and some like to wear the low heels. The same thing with the dance steps. This is why I think it is really fun to watch people dance.

Sometimes, you just got to dance for the pleasure of dancing instead of always focusing your eyes on competing and winning a trophy.  Choose ballroom dance shoes that are snug but not toe-crushing. A pair of dancing shoes should be comfortable and functional.

The first time you buy a pair, it is recommended that you go to a store and try on the shoes in person. You can find the proper fit and style with the help of an experienced salesperson. Once you find out what you like and know what size you need, how high of a heel then you can purchase the shoes online. They will be more economical and with the brand name of “Very Fine Dance Shoes” you are sure to get the best of dance shoes.

Well “Dancing with the Stars” is back on and it usually motivates people to try their luck at ballroom dancing. It even moves people that haven’t danced in years to start back.
If you are one to start or restart your ballroom dancing journey, make sure you are wearing ballroom dance shoes that fit you properly. If your preference is open toed dance shoes, the sandal type, your toes should hang off the end of the shoe from an eighth to a  quarter of inch.

Ballroom dancing can be very exciting and fun, but as with anything else in life, you need to make sure you are safe and comfortable while doing it. Wearing the best open toed ballroom dance shoes will make sure you are both. Street (ordinary daily shoes, loafers, dress or even sports shoes) shoes are good for every day wear, of sitting and standing and walking about short distances. Shoes made pacifically for ballroom dancing are designed for the comfort of standing mainly on the balls of your feet and moving around the floor. They are padded where they need to be padded for that kind of wear.

Seriously, you should not ballroom dance on a regular basis without wearing the required footwear. Just as you would not do any task without the appropriate equipment.

When I go out social dancing I follow a few rules of thumb.
The idea is for both you and your partner to have fun for the given dance. Make sure you wear ballroom dancing dance shoes. •    I only lead steps that I have mastered to a certain degree. It is not fun for your partner to try and follow a step that is led poorly. So don’t do it. Save it for practice.
•    For each of the dances I dance frequently I have a repertoire of a number of basic (or very leadable/ followable) steps. I also have a few fancy steps but I only use them when:
o    I can lead them well.
o    I think the follower can handle them.
o    and everything else has gone smoothly.
If all of the above is true I might throw in a fancy step. Usually only one per dance. If done right it will make a good impression and leave a good feeling. So the “balance I am advocating” is do the basic steps because you do them well. If conditions are right do a fancy step but there is no need to over do it. One done really well will be more fun and make a better impression than any number done poorly. This will leave your partner with a good or at least neutral feeling. Which is much better than a bad feeling. I mean you do want her to dance with you again, right? Over time you will acquire enough basic steps and fancy steps to make a dance interesting to a wide variety of partners. Simple perfection is so much better than clumsy complexity.

Dancing is a social activity and therefore etiquette overrides EVERY OTHER consideration. Classes and practice sessions are one thing, dancing in public is another. We all know people who practice comp routines in public or do a samba lesson right on the dance floor while the band is playing a waltz. This is rude and offensive to other dancers in the venue. More topical is the question of being rude to our partners. I know some people who can’t STOP teaching. I don’t know why they do it but it is annoying to many followers (Or what about the followers who can’t stop back-leading or offering suggestions?) Remember that there are many people out there who are not obsessed about dance. They just like to spend a few hours every now and then moving to music, having fun. They will wear low heel ballroom dance shoes and dance to their heart. They don’t care about correct steps or proper technique or line of dance or whatever. You must first consider who you are dancing with, what their abilities and preferences are.
Remember that dancing should be fun. Don’t sweat it if you “Flub and mess up a pattern.” Do what you can, and enjoy what you do. Agree with your partner, in advance, that you’ll put fun first. Don’t make an issue of each other’s errors; those made at the ballroom are cues for what to practice later.