Dancing has become very popular recently. Tickets to dance schools or dance tournaments sold out very quickly and this is not surprising since dancing is a fantastic way of spending time with friends, having fun and allowing a person to keep fit and lose the spare kilograms. In order for each step to be correct, one needs t invest in good dance shoes. For the beginners it is recommended to buy inexpensive ones, and when they acquire practice and make sure this is their passion, then they may allocate a bigger sum of money for proper dance shoes. One needs to remember that sports shoes, for instance the ones for aerobics or playing basketball are not suitable for dancing because they have a slip resistant sole and their construction prevent the air from circulating freely. Dance shoes are more lightweight, allow for making revolutions as well as to “feel” the dance floor.
The multitude of dance styles is impressive. Each of them creates a separate reality having its own music, history, outfit and, of course, shoes.
Starting with classic styles, one needs to mention the so-called pointe shoes, common among ballet dancers, who perform pointework on the tips of their toes. Thanks to wearing pointe shoes the audience has the impression that the dancer is flying in the air. These ballet shoes are made of many layers of material, are covered with satin and the sole is made of leather. In order to protect the ankle, pointe shoes have a couple of ribbons that gently stiffen the foot. There is also another type of ballet shoes, they are called soft as they, unlike the pointe shoes, don’t have a hard part that cause so much pain to training ballet dancers. They are made of calf leather or canvass and usually come in two colours: black or white.
When talking about shoes, we might also mention the shoes for Irish dance. This type of dance could be divided into a soft dance and stepdance. The dancers wear the so-called Irish ballet shoes also known as pumps, that are used in soft dances. They are made of soft leather and are tied below the ankle which ensures they won’t slip off the foot. The men performing the soft shoe dancing, are wearing shoes made of soft leather and having a heel that is to enable them to make several audible heel clicks, characteristic for solo dances. For hard dance, that is step dance both men and women wear the so-called hard shoes, made of thicker leather. They have a heel made of fiberglass or wood protected with resin. Hard shoes also have a characteristic strip keeping the shoe in place.
Shoes constitute a vital element of flamenco. This dance is full of sensuality and emotion, and perfectly expresses the dancer’s feeling via gestures, mimics, various choreographic figures and various ways of tapping the floor with the shoes, making the performance dramatic and energetic. Flamenco shoes are modelled on horse riding shoes with heels.
Modern dances like hip hop, funky, street, or jazz, require professional shoes with a special sole that helps to make the revolutions and at the same time protects the heel from injuries, facilitates dancing on the tips of the toes and bending the foot. Shoes for jazz dance should be comfortable, soft and flexible.
When deciding to take up dancing, one should think about the right shoes, for one’s own safety and in order to make the figures correctly. It is worth asking professional dancers or shop assistants for advice concerning the best footwear for a beginner.