Thread: shoes ... can't live with em - can't live without em

so I know there have been discussions about shoes before - but I'm having some issues and I'm hoping maybe there are some options I haven't seen or something ...

I have and currently dance with hermes sandals in one class and ballet flats in another ... and neither one are terrible ...
BUT ... I'm SOOOOO much more comfortable dancing in bare feet ... it's not just comfortable, though - it's a stability thing. I feel MUCH more stable - especially on high releve / doing level changes when I'm in bare feet than in either of the shoe options. now, I don't perform much, so technically, I could just stick to bare feet for the most part ... but shoes do have the advantages of #1 being a little better for spins and #2 being more sanitary / safe for public dance spaces - including studios / workshops, etc - so even if I'm not performing would probably be a good idea.


are there other shoe / foot covering options anyone might suggest I try that might feel even more like bare feet? ... I know they make those little sock things that cover just the balls of your feet ... which would work for the turning part ... but not so much for the walking on public floors part ...

is there anything else?

is the fact that I feel more stable barefoot a sign of something being wrong?

maybe I just need to practice more in my shoes

any ideas?

I, too, need to practice more in my performance shoes (heels for restaurants).

However, I would like to try the full-foot Undeez for a barefoot look/feel. They cover the ball of the foot and the bottom of the heel with a strap to hold them on. The tan ones could be spruced up with some crystals. ..g.:

I like the full sole foot undies too- but I still wouldn't wear them outside studio practice or a stage performance (& maybe not even that) because I have had too many run ins (myself, my friends, my students) with rocks, glass, nails, splintered wood & just plain nastiness from various floors- even some studio floors, honestly. So, no- it's not wrong to prefer dancing barefoot- I love it! It's just impractical, and I haven't found the perfect solution beyond getting used to dance shoes. I just need a rubber tree handy so I can dip my feet in latex, eh?

Originally Posted by kiyaana

I, too, need to practice more in my performance shoes (heels for restaurants).

However, I would like to try the full-foot Undeez for a barefoot look/feel. They cover the ball of the foot and the bottom of the heel with a strap to hold them on. The tan ones could be spruced up with some crystals. ..g.:

Isn't Undeez almost like barefoot? I mean, it doesn't cover the whole foot... What's the feeling of wearing it?

They are comfortable but the toes are uncovered & the soles are thin (just a moleskin/suede pad under the ball of foot & the heel) so they wouldn't be suitable for restaurant, nightclub, or outdoor wear.
I also have been disappointed with the durability of the full sole. The fabric that holds them together is a thin stretchy mesh, much like panties and it does not hold together well. I usually burn through a pair in 4 weeks or so.

Shoes...shoes...oh my god, shoes. Sorry, couldn't resist: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCF3ywukQYA]YouTube - Shoes the Full Version[/ame]

I guess I'm gonna break down and get some Hermes sandals. Are they really comfortable for lengthy dancing and rehearsing in? Also the least expensive I've found them is $40 here:
Belly Dance Mall

Are there any less expensive sources? (Not that that's outrageously expensive; just doesn't hurt to ask!)

My canvas ballet shoes are the next closest thing to bare feet (tried leather, hated it). I prefer the elastosplits but they do leave a bare space on your arch.

Thing I learned - Leather ballet shoes, buy smaller than street size (generally), because leather stretches. Canvas ballet shoes you may be able to buy regular street size because canvas isn't going to stretch.

You can find the hermes sandals a little cheaper here.

Discount Dance Supply

I don't wear mine for practice (I wear canvas ballet slippers), but some of my troupe mates do, and they really like them. I do wear mine to perform though. We had to perform 2 sets around 20-30 minutes each one night, and they did not bother be at all. I really don't even notice I am wearing them.

Originally Posted by Darbla

I guess I'm gonna break down and get some Hermes sandals. Are they really comfortable for lengthy dancing and rehearsing in? Also the least expensive I've found them is $40 here:
Belly Dance Mall

Are there any less expensive sources? (Not that that's outrageously expensive; just doesn't hurt to ask!)

I find the hermes sandals fairly comfortable (and I know people who actually put like thin insoles in them for support to make them even more so - never done this myself) ... and they work really well for surfaces like outside and concrete and things where other types of dance shoes (and definately bare feet) would not be good. I got mine for around $35 from my dance teacher - so really not much different from what you found. ... I just need to make myself practice in them more (but it's not being uncomfortable that keeps me from practicing in them ... it's laziness, really - just so much easier to just go barefoot than to make myself learn to be stable in the shoes ... gotta make myself get over that)

I love to dance barefoot most of all. But dancing in shoes is a necessity at some places. And while this is controversial, sometimes it really does finish the look of a costume.

I don't mind wearing dance shoes, check out the ones Tina Sargent has been offering here on bhuz, but I still prefer dancing barefoot. I rarely dance in restaurants, though. What I do is wear little flip-flop type sandals that I can wear right up to the stage and then kick off before I make my entrance. The actual stages themselves have been all right so far. I know there is still the odd chance of someone's bead being on the floor and getting into your foot, but usually I take that risk. Organizers at the events I attend are conscientious about sweeping the floor between dancers if necessary. In a restaurant situation I would definitely wear shoes.

p.s. in class I wear leather ballet slippers. They took some getting used to.