Thread: Footwear for outdoors (troupe costuming)

Help!

My pro troupe is in need of a dance shoe. Our costumes are gold & silver coin bra/belt sets and we wear a variety of jewel-toned skirts/pants with them. We also do some folkloric performances in brightly colored thobes or beledi dresses.

Most of the troupe is used to dancing barefoot. I like to wear ballroom shoes, and for outdoor dancing I've worn beige teaching sandals, but it's not a great look AND outdoor dancing is hard on the shoes!

We're doing several outdoor performances this summer, and we'd like to find a troupe shoe style that we can all agree on that will protect our feet and not ruin our look or bust anyone's budget.

Any suggestions?

Originally Posted by Lauren_

I like to wear ballroom shoes, and for outdoor dancing I've worn beige teaching sandals, but it's not a great look AND outdoor dancing is hard on the shoes!

Is your objection to "the look" of the beige teaching sandals due to the beige color, or is your objection a more general dislike of sandals?

The reason for asking is that Aruba's Oasis offers sandals in a variety of colors, including gold metallic and silver metallic, and you can have them made with outdoor-quality soles. See Color Samples: Aruba's Oasis leather lace-up Sandals

But of course, if the sandal-ness is what you don't care for, then this wouldn't be the right solution for you.

I like these slippers:

Slippers and Shoes : Son of the Pharaoh, Purveyor of the Unique

There are plain, metallic gold ones or sequinned gold ones. I've used both, and I'd recommend the plain, because the sequinned ones can potentially catch in beading on skirt hems. Even if your group doesn't currently have beaded hems, the plain ones are more versatile for future use, in case they do have beaded hems sometime. They're also cheaper.

I have wide feet and a high instep, and I'm hard to fit, but I can wear these shoes comfortably.

Sorry, I'm not aware of a US source.

Originally Posted by *Shira*

Is your objection to "the look" of the beige teaching sandals due to the beige color, or is your objection a more general dislike of sandals?

The reason for asking is that Aruba's Oasis offers sandals in a variety of colors, including gold metallic and silver metallic, and you can have them made with outdoor-quality soles. See Color Samples: Aruba's Oasis leather lace-up Sandals

But of course, if the sandal-ness is what you don't care for, then this wouldn't be the right solution for you.

Well, my teaching sandals look more like:

and aren't very performance-worthy.

I like the look of the sandals you posted, and one of my students is bringing in a plain leather pair for us to check out (which some of us thought look too earth-mother for our glitzy costumes). I'm concerned about how securely they stay in place on the foot -- we do a lot of modern Egyptian style, with turns & spins and work on the ball of the foot. But if they seem secure and the soles are flexible & durable, I like the idea of metallic ones! Not sure my dancers will like the $75 price tag, but sticker shock is always an issue with pro equipment.

Thanks Shira, it's a nice option to show them.

Originally Posted by CalgaryBibi

I like these slippers:

Slippers and Shoes : Son of the Pharaoh, Purveyor of the Unique

There are plain, metallic gold ones or sequinned gold ones. I've used both, and I'd recommend the plain, because the sequinned ones can potentially catch in beading on skirt hems. Even if your group doesn't currently have beaded hems, the plain ones are more versatile for future use, in case they do have beaded hems sometime. They're also cheaper.

I have wide feet and a high instep, and I'm hard to fit, but I can wear these shoes comfortably.

Sorry, I'm not aware of a US source.

I almost forgot, I have a pair of these in gold and one in silver tucked away somewhere. They might be an affordable option for the barefoot feeling. Thank you!

Originally Posted by Lauren_

I almost forgot, I have a pair of these in gold and one in silver tucked away somewhere. They might be an affordable option for the barefoot feeling. Thank you!

I usually go for little silver "ballet" slippers like this for outdoor events. They don't stand up to too much wear, but fortunately, I don't have too many outdoor gigs.

Kmart sells cotton flats that have a sole comparable to a Keds sneaker. They're not terribly elegant, but they're inexpensive and you could decorate them to look a little more dressy.

Here's the plain cotton one in black (the tan would be less conspicuous):

Clothing, Toys, Electronics, Jewelry, Jaclyn Smith - Kmart.com

And one that's a macrame:

Clothing, Toys, Electronics, Jewelry, Jaclyn Smith - Kmart.com

I've gone through a bunch of shoes in search of a comfy outdoor shoe. I dance barefoot most of the time, but really like these when I can't:

Freeform Dance Shoe; Capezio

They are suede sole and not horrible price wise. I would order one whole size larger. I'm normally a 9 but got a 10 and they fit great. The camel color is pretty nude and doesn't look odd under a costume. They stay on really well too... much better than sandals (which I have a tendency to trip over as well).

You can also find them at: Dancewear | Ballet Shoes - Discount Dance Supply if you search capezio freeform

Hey Miss Lauren,

I have my troupe shod in metallic ballet slippers - most of them have both gold and silver pairs. The two places we order from are:

SHOES for Dance

Ballet Shoes - Dance 4 Less

Either will run you about $20 per pair - I prefer the feel of the River's Edge shoes.

Christine

Capezio Tights

You can get fancier versions of the cotton Mary Janes from Asian retailers: Pearl River

or, if there are dance shoes you like but you want them more suitable for outdoors, you could always take them to a shoe repair place and have more durable soles added. Or if that's too much expense, some duct tape on the bottom (they make clear, or you could get one of the nifty "fashion" colors they seem to be coming out with), or even better, go to a hardware store and find some of that stuff you can get to put down on steps and such to make them less slippery and cut that to fit. The duct tape can be a pain to get the fit right and eventually the edges might start to lift, so I'd use it as a last resort rather than a first-choice method (I've got duct tape on an old pair of my Highland shoes; they're the ones I used to wear for when the band would go and perform in bars on St. Patty's Day-- after we danced for the kitchen staff on a greasy kitchen floor, I decided my shoes needed a bit more protection than those soft leather soles! [you'd think I would've figured that out long before that, dancing on dirty floors and sometimes walking through patches of liquid I hoped was only spilled beer, but...] The tape has held up pretty well, but it's not the very most prettiest thing in the world, hence why i recommended the clear... and I'm certain I'll never get it OFF again).