Proper dance shoes are an essential ingredient when learning to dance or have been dancing for a while. Dance shoes should be treated as a piece of safety equipment because they are no different from footwear equipment in other sports. Sometimes, dance shoes are not the most comfortable, so this article will guide you on how to make your dance shoes more comfortable for your dancing adventures.
Dance shoes are made for dancing, and they should support and reduce the high impact on your feet.
Perhaps proper dance shoes are the missing item to dance better. Speaking from my experience, I noticed a significant shift in my dancing skills when I switched from street shoes to Latin dance shoes. I noticed that my feet glide easily on the dance floor, and my spins are flawless. The comfort of dance shoes is undeniable. It will feel like you are dancing barefoot.
However, some Latin dance shoes are not comfortable as they should be, and there are ways to improve their comfort so your feet do not suffer.
How to make dance shoes more comfortable? You can make dance shoes more comfortable by wearing them around your house, especially if they are brand new. It will allow you to adjust and get comfortable with the dance shoes while doing less demanding activities. Do a few dance steps to see where the discomfort comes from.
Once you figure out what area of the shoes gives you the most discomfort, you can get it stretched a bit by using a hairdryer and thick socks technique I will discuss later in this article.
When the feet are comfortable, so is the mind, body, and soul.
Donald J. Pliner
Are Latin Dance Shoes Comfortable?
Latin dance shoes are exceptionally comfortable because they are specifically engineered for Latin dancing. Latin dance impacts our feet in many ways because of the fast spins, turns, and sudden stops.
Latin dance shoes allow you to balance your body weight slightly forward to the ball of the feet. This engineering of Latin dance shoes is done for the purpose because the dancer’s weight yields forward.
While dancing, the dancer’s toe should be right at the edge of the shoe.
Latin dance shoes are made to protect your feet from these impacts and to prevent an injury.
If you decide to wear street shoes to Latin dance, your turn and spins will be sluggish, and your feet will ache after dancing.
Choosing proper dance shoes will improve your moves and performance and give you confidence whenever you step out on the dance floor to bust some Latin moves.
Should Dance Shoes Be Tight?
Dance shoes should be tight but not too painful. They should be perfectly snug for better support and balance. Your performance will suffer if your shoes wobble and you won’t be comfortable dancing. Also, you could injure yourself or your dance partner by slipping and falling.
The material of dance shoes is constructed to stretch over time, which is why you should go 0.5 or full size down when purchasing dance shoes.
Once the foot is inside the shoe, it should not move within the shoe.
The shoes shouldn’t be too loose because they could throw you off balance, and they shouldn’t be too tight because they could cause serious injury.
As I mentioned earlier, going 0.5 of full size down is the best way to go.
To find out more about how Latin dance shoes should fit, check out the article here.
How To Stretch Latin Dance Shoes?
When you purchase a brand new pair of Latin dance shoes, they are probably too tight, especially if you went a size down. You wish to wear them immediately, but it is too painful to do so. I will provide you with tips on how to stretch your Latin dance shoes if they are too tight.
You will need a pair of thick socks and a hairdryer. Put your socks on, then put your shoes on. I hope you are doing this in the privacy of your home because wearing Latin dances shoes with socks on is not very fashionable, haha.
Turn the hairdryer on and heat the tightest part of your shoes. The tightest parts of the shoe are usually around the toes.
Flex and move your feet around as your heating the shoes with a hairdryer.
Ensure that you are heating only the part of the shoe that is too tight and not entire shoes because it could stretch the shoes too much. Avoid heating the heel.
Finally, walk around your house with socks and shoes on for a while until the shoes are stretched enough for your comfort.
Are Dance Shoes More Comfortable Than Regular Shoes?
We wear our street shoes slightly larger for additional comfort, but dance shoes should fit nicely all around the feet, so very often, going 0.5 or full size down is expected.
Once the dance shoes’ comfort is maximized using techniques I talked about in this article, they are much more comfortable than regular shoes.
Many people, including myself, are wearing dance shoes to events such as weddings, work Christmas parties or any event where you have to stand on your feet and dance all night long.
I was wearing my first pair of Latin dance shoes to my work Christmas party, and I was able to dance all night long without feeling any discomfort in my feet. Whereas, previously, I couldn’t stand or dance for a very long time because my feet would start hurting, so I had to sit down and take my shoes off.
What Is The Difference Between Latin Dance Shoes And Regular Shoes?
Simply put, dance shoes are made for dancing, and they are not made as regular dance shoes.
The main difference between Latin dance shoes and regular street shoes is in the sole. Latin dance shoes have a suede sole that allows you to slide easily on the dance floor. On the other hand, street shoes have a rubber or plastic sole that prevents you from spinning on the dance floor effortlessly.
Rubber or plastic sole can cause an injury when moving quickly across the dance floor because your feet can stop suddenly and cause you to slip out.
Latin dance shoes have a suede sole that allows you to have better control over your dance movements. Suede soles provide additional safety for you and your dance partner.
Dance shoes are made in a specific way that warrants pressure on the right portion of your feet to ensure balance and stability.
Regular street shoes are made to provide equal pressure on the ball and heel of the foot. On the contrary, Latin dance shoes are designed in a way that there is more weight in the ball of the foot. It allows dancers to move smoothly and quickly across the dance floor without putting much weight on the heels.
Moreover, Latin dance shoes are made of lightweight material that allows the foot to move freely and gracefully. Street shoes don’t have this feature as they are, more often than not, chunky and heavy.
Also, Latin dance shoes have an insole built entirely differently than street shoes that allow for flexibility while dancing. However, to get that extra flexibility, dance shoes sacrifice the extra support from the arch. Arch support is essential. Latin dance shoes are made with special arch padding units, which sit under the arch and support correct foot alignment.
Benefits Of Latin Dance Shoes With Arch Support
Dancing will be much more enjoyable with the right pair of dance shoes.
Dance shoes should be perfectly snug around your feet while supporting and protecting your feet.
Arch support in dance shoes is very important because it allows your feet to be fully balanced and supported.
Even if you have flat feet or high arches, you need dance shoes that provide arch support for better shock absorption and better cushioning.
Dance shoes with arch support will enable you to dance for hours without your feet being tired, injured, or sore.
What To Do If You Get Blisters While Wearing Dance Shoes?
If you get blisters from wearing dance shoes, put a bandaid on the injured area. I always carry extra bandaids in my purse in case I get blisters.
I used to get blisters easily when I was wearing regular shoes to dance parties. Now I rarely get blisters since I started wearing shoes that are made for dancing. I only get blisters now when I am wearing a brand new pair of shoes, especially if I didn’t have time to stretch them a bit using thick socks and hairdryer techniques (discussed in this article).
Another way to soothe blister pain is to bathe your feet in green tea because green tea has anti-inflammatory properties, such as tannin.
How Can I wear Dance Shoes Without Pain In The Ball Of Foot?
There is nothing nicer than getting a new pair of shoes, but then you realize they give you extreme pain in the ball of the foot. There are a few things you can do to reduce this discomfort.
- Tape your toes. Tape your third and fourth toes together with medical tape (see picture below). It will lessen the pressure on the nerve between your third and fourth toe, which may otherwise cause pain. Latin dance shoes have an open toe, and esthetically this will not look nice but choose a medical tape that is skin color, which is less noticeable.
- Arch support. Some people find having a shoe cobbler place arch support under the insole can make a huge difference in comfort if you have a high arched foot.
- Bunion protector. A bunion protector will ease any bunion pain, irritation, calluses, and blister pain. A bunion is a bony bump that forms on the joint at the base of your big toe. It occurs when some of the bones in the front part of your foot move out of place.
Final Words
Dance shoes should be comfortable because your feet are going through a lot of pressure and stress while dancing. This article has covered ways to make your Latin dance shoes more comfortable to enjoy dancing as much as possible. I hope that these tips help you as they did to me. There is nothing nicer than dancing all night long carelessly, without feeling any pain or discomfort in your feet.
Happy dancing!
