Ballroom Shoes??

Nukleopatra · 11-10-2007, 01:10 PM

I am in the process of looking for a great pair of ballroom shoes. I always see dancers wearing these fantastic looking gold and silver varieties. I am looking for something that is mainly comfortable yet elegant. Does anyone have any suggestions for styles or brands that have been good to you?

katia_dance · 11-10-2007, 02:25 PM

I bought my ballroom shoes at Center Stage Dance in Seattle. Centerstage Dance Shop

And I love them!

flimflamgirl · 11-10-2007, 02:37 PM

I bought a pair of pewter-tone glitter ballroom shoes, with a nice low heel, from Freeds of London. I love them. I'm not a high heel wearer in daily life, and I find these very comfortable and easy to dance in. I got them at a dance supply shop; I'm sure they're easy to find.

- Leela

nasila · 11-10-2007, 02:46 PM

I've bought some from Very Fine Dancesport Shoes Company the manufacturer of dance shoes, ballroom dance shoes, dance sneakers, dancewears and I like them a lot! You have to call or fax in an order, but here's a buy 1 pair get 1 pair free coupon:

http://www.laraqs.com/files/Very_Fine_Shoes22.jpg

nasila · 11-10-2007, 08:14 PM

whoa, what a crazy auto-link. it's very fine shoes . com . :)

AuntieCrazy · 11-10-2007, 09:24 PM

Due to a foot injury sustained in military service over a decade ago, I have foregone high heeled shoes for many, many years. However, I recently began ballroom dancing and needed to see if I could wear them again. SUPADANCE shoes were recommended to me as being the highest quality (i.e. best support) shoes on the market, but I couldn't find a comfortable pair I liked. I ended up with a set of two inch heeled ECKSE shoes - and I LOVE them. I was (I admit it) shocked and delighted - I've been able to wear them from the very first night with no problems at all. I purchased mine from Pattersons Bay Bay in Burlington, MA, but they have an online catalog you can buy from, too, at Back Bay.

JeanneLF · 11-11-2007, 01:32 AM

I have a pair of these
Fantasia Latein-Tanzschuhe Werner Kern
and I love them. The heel isn't ridiculously high, so they are comfortable to dance in. You can't tell so much from this picture, but that "fantasia beige" is patterned with a light rainbowy iridescence, so they look shiny and can go with just about any color you want to wear.
I got mine at San Francisco Dance Wear, but I think the manufacture's website has a store locator, so you can see if they can be found near you.

AnnaTX · 11-13-2007, 12:20 PM

I just bought Capezio dance shoes..the Chorus model from Zappos online.

Shoes at Zappos.com - The Web's Most Popular Shoe Store! Our shoe store features dress shoes, casual shoes, and athletic shoes for men and women!

They have free shipping and returns. I've tried several ballroom shoes and these babies are the most comfortable. They are a lovely t-strap with a nice widthed heel in silver. Very stable compared to other shoes I've used.

desertroses · 11-13-2007, 12:27 PM

My fav brand is Sansha

Ballroom shoes for women

They are the most comfortable and I love how they look and the style I like "Waldorf" comes in several colors. I have them in gold, silver and black w/ a gold toe.

LadyLara · 11-13-2007, 01:02 PM

These have been some great suggestions. Does anyone know if any of them run narrow or are offered in a narrow width? I always have the problem that if I buy the right length, my foot's so narrow it slides forward. And if I buy the right width, my foot hangs over the front

latriamou · 11-13-2007, 05:31 PM

i get my shoes from an ebay vendor appleballroom... i will try to find the website but it should come up via googe. they carry very fine. i'm not sure about narrow fit but they have great customer service. i need a specific shoe for a troupe number and they were able to make it for me- at no extra cost! i was very happy with it.
i wear shoes pretty much all the time when i dance and i love them

kmarissa · 11-13-2007, 06:12 PM

Don't know about their Ballroom shoe selection, but I second Zappos for great service and easy returns. They have free shipping (and super-fast) and of course free returns, so often I'll order six or seven similar pairs of shoes, pick whichever I like best of the lot, and return the rest. AND you can return for up to a year or something crazy like that.

Shoes at Zappos.com - The Web's Most Popular Shoe Store! Our shoe store features dress shoes, casual shoes, and athletic shoes for men and women!

nimah · 11-17-2007, 02:44 AM

Celebrity makes amazingly comfortable ballroom dance shoes. You can customize any of their shoes to be made with any of their many fabrics and heel styles. The buckles on the straps are a wonderful illusion--they look exactly like buckles, but they're actually snaps in disguise, so you can take them on and off quickly, and pull the buckles up or down the strap to adjust the length of the strap for a perfect fit. They're not cheap, but they're worth every penny.

Celebrity Dance Shoes

SamiraShuruk · 11-17-2007, 10:46 AM

The more delicate dance shoes are often found under "Latin dance shoes". There is a wide variety of quality available. Some have really nice cushioned insoles. Most have suede soles and are not intended for wearing out.
The most comfortable shoes that I know of are handmade Argentine tango shoes from Buenos Aires from a company called Comme Il Faut.
Comme il Faut Tango Shoes
carries them. They're not allowed to have photos up- but DO have a picture glossary: http://www.malevashoes.com/design/glossary.html
and then description of what they have in stock by size:
Comme il Faut Argentine Tango Shoes-What's in Stock?

They're the dance shoe equivalent of the high end Sahars.
They're drool worthy- a couple examples:
Red and Black Leopard Print Suede with Black Patent - Sandal with T-Strap
Black Suede Leather with Copper Strap and Piping - Peep-Toe
Burgundy Velvet with Wine-Colored Lace Print
Pale Lavender Cheetah-Print Velvet with Metallic Purple Details
Gold Glitter with Violet Purple Dotted Suede
Peachy-Nude Satin with Black Lace and Peach Grosgrain Ribbon
*sigh*

Nukleopatra · 11-19-2007, 05:10 PM

Thank you all for the suggestions....this has definatley helped me out! Now, I'm off to follow the links

Safiyah · 11-20-2007, 11:12 AM

I have a pair of really boring tan Capezio shoes. They have 1 1/2" heels (I was afraid to go higher since I'd been used to dancing with Hermes sandals). Now that I'm used to the heel (I like it better than barefoot now!) I want some fancier ones. Those Comme il Faut sound fabulous...

kiyaana · 12-13-2007, 02:34 AM

Now these really go with everything! Latin Schuhe Chevro antik multi

And for pastels:
Latin Schuhe Chevro platin multi

SamiraShuruk · 12-13-2007, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Safiyah

...Those Comme il Faut sound fabulous...

I've worn their 4 inch heels for 8 hours no problem! That included a bunch of social dancing. For dance performing I'd go with the lower heel version though.

katlyn · 12-13-2007, 06:47 PM

I'm a ballroom dancer primarily and I have worn Celebrity dance shoes for years. I have other brands as well but celebrity seems to be the most comfortable for me for long periods of time. Nimah mentioned them above. The adjustable straps are a nice feature and I do adjust them frequently. The monet heel option is great if you aren't used to high heels because they are much more stable than a pointier heel, but still give you the look of a high heel.