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THE SOLE

• ​Traction

​Your typical street shoe has a rubber (or rubber like bottom). This makes turning in shoes like this very difficult because they grip the floor and create too much friction. Practically, this can be concern for injury; if one isn't careful, you could potentially find your body turning without your foot turning and cause damage to your knee. This is why ballroom shoes have a SUEDE BOTTOM. The suede bottom offers a perfect combination of slip and grip to keep you comfortably turning without twisting, and gliding without sliding.

• Flexibility

Most shoes have a harder, thicker sole. Ballroom shoes have a very flexible sole that can nearly be bent in 1/2 either direction allowing dancers to really articulate and roll through their feet as they dance. You rarely find ballroom dancers stomping about; street shoes cause more flat-footed stomping steps, whereas ballroom shoes give you the flexibility to point, flex and articulate gracefully through your feet.

 Use

​As much as you might like to, you can't wear your dance shoes like regular street shoes (jazz sneakers are an exception to this rule and those can be worn outside). Because your ballroom shoes have a suede bottom, they are only meant to be worn on smooth surfaces (like dance floors). Surfaces like cement, asphalt and other similar surfaces would literally wear a hole through the sole eventually (note to self: Never again take your over-priced ballroom shoes purchased from an L.A. dance studio to an outdoor Cuban Salsa Festival on the streets of LA unless you're looking to buy a new pair....). Grass and dirt would ruin the bottoms, and any kind of liquid, including water, make the soles feel like gum. Keeping your soles clean, dry and used on smooth surfaces is a must!

Heels (for the ladies)

If you tried standing on the edge of 1 of your street shoe heels you'd probably snap it off. ​The heels on a good ballroom shoe (like ours) are reinforced well and you can trust your weight on them as you move your weight on, off and over them in all directions.

Straps (for the ladies)

If you tried dancing in typical street shoes, you would run the risk of a couple of things happening...... 

1. The straps snapping. Street shoes aren't made for the kind of movement you plan on doing in your dance heels. The construction isn't nearly as good and the straps might pull out or snap. (I've had this happen trying to dance in street shoes before, so I speak from experience). Your ballroom shoes are made exactly for the stress you will put them under and are ready for the challenge! 

2. Your foot slipping around in the shoe. The straps of a street shoe were put their to be fashionable, not functional on a dance floor. They were not designed to keep your foot from sliding around inside of it. Your ballroom shoes were designed to be both fashionable AND functional with this purpose in mind. 

3. The shoe coming off. Think of some of the cute slip-on shoes you own, a few moves and these shoes may end up on a different part of the floor than you are. Ballroom shoes keep your foot safely and securely in the shoe.

FIT

You ballroom dance shoes should fit like a glove. Most people are used to a little extra room in their street shoes, but you definitely don't want that to be the case with your dance shoes. 1. Your foot would slip around inside of them instead of hugging them securely and would most likely cause blistering, and 2. When your shoe goes out past the front of your toes all that is, is a tripping hazard for you. Open-toed ballroom shoes should not extend out much past the tip of your big toe, and closed-toed shoes should end just in front of your toes, without the toes actually pushing against the inside of the shoe uncomfortably, but without much of a gap in front of them either. Close-toed shoes should feel secure, but not stuffed.

BONUS for the Ladies:  Most of our ballroom heels have a quick clasp buckle system. You set the buckle position once and from then on all you have to do is slide the buckle into place. No more messing with traditional buckles. The quick clasp system makes taking your dance shoes on and off a breeze! I truly wish ALL of my shoes were made like this! ​

We're not going to sell you dance shoes if you're not that invested in dancing, but if dancing is going to be a new regular hobby for you, you probably want the right equipment for the sport. Here are some reasons why:

1. Your street shoes don't have the right slip and grip like dance shoes do. Because most street shoes have rubber bottoms (or similar), most students find turning and executing many other movements smoothly, gracefully, and with ease fairly difficult. Heck, most students find it challenging enough as it is in proper dance shoes, you really probably don't want to make it significantly harder on yourself to execute and perform these steps any further. 

2. Street shoes are a lot harder on your knees. As mentioned before, they usually have too much grip, and can potentially injure your knees if your body is turning, but your feet feel stuck.

3. If you wear flip-flops or slip-ons, the shoes will not stay on your feet very well.

4. If you wear heels, street shoes definitely do not offer the kind of stability and sturdiness your dance heels will. 

5. If your street shoes mark up the floor, your dance instructor might kill you.

In my dance lifetime I have worn MANY different brands of shoes, and have personally worn Very Fine Shoes now for 2 decades. While I have worn some shoes that were better quality, I also had to pay about twice to 3x the price for the shoe as well! I have also worn brands that were cheaper, the same, or even more expensive than ours, but they fell apart too quickly for me. The bottom line is Very Fine shoes are made for ballroom dancers, they LAST, and normal people can actually afford them. They don’t fall apart quickly, their shoes are flexible (super important for dancers), and you can’t find the selections of styles anywhere else on the market for the price. The brand is tried and true and that is why I have been wearing them since I discovered them over 2 decades ago, and that is why Very Fine is the brand I carry at my studio.

I also love that our orders come in so quickly. I've had some pairs arrive in only 2 days, but 3 days is most common. 

Yes! You can actually design your own shoes. Pick your style, color, pattern, textile, heel, width, size, etc. Most custom orders will take between 5-8 weeks, but in some cases, up to 2-3 months to arrive. Prices are listed above. Once ordered, your custom shoes cannot be returned or exchanged through the studio or the manufacturer, so please keep this in mind when making your purchase.

As mentioned before, your dance shoes should not fit the same as your street shoes. Your dance shoes should fit like a glove, and because you move so much in dynamic and different ways in dance, you really want to make sure you have the proper fit for your foot. 

If the shoe you order is "In stock", generally 3 business days.

Please note we will only hold your ordered shoes in our studio for a period of 60 days. After 60 days we reserve the right to resell any abandoned orders without refund.

3 things you can do to keep you shoes in good condition and lasting as long as possible (many of mine have lasted me over a decade - but then again, I have several pairs...I mean, it is my job, and I do own a dance store.....and I love shoes. And because I love them, I take care of them :)

• Only wear your shoes on smooth, dry, clean surfaces (like a good dance floor). Because your ballroom shoes have a suede bottom, they are only meant to be worn on smooth surfaces. Surfaces like cement, asphalt and other similar surfaces would literally wear a hole through the sole eventually. Grass and dirt will ruin the bottoms, and any kind of liquid, including water, make the soles feel like gum. Use your shoe bag to bring your shoes in and out of the dance venue. Don't get lazy and wear them outside. Keeping your soles clean, dry and used on smooth surfaces is a must for the longevity of your shoes.
• When the suede bottom becomes flat, smooth and begins to have a sheen to it, take a stiff wire shoe brush to it. The best technique for this is a "pick and lift"      technique, which will scrape less of the suede off. Most people do just scrape off the top layer with the brush, which works as well, but the "pick and lift" method can extend the life of your sole. Make sure to brush this into a garbage can, and not on to the floor where you and everyone else will step.  
• If they start to get stinky, use a spray like odor-eaters on your feet before and after use, or even directly in the foot bed. You aren't the 1st dancer to experience this, but the odor-eater spray (or similar) can clear that up pretty quickly (we even keep a can of it in the studio for you here).

Once ordered, your shoes cannot be returned through the studio and will be non-refundable, so please keep this in mind when making your purchase. Exchanges can ONLY be made on shoes that have not been worn for pairs already in stock in the studio, so please make sure when trying them on your shoe is a good fit before wearing them. Any new pair of shoes needing to be returned/exchanged with manufacturer will be at the cost of the buyer. 

If your shoe should have some defect more than normal wear and tear, please bring it to our attention and we will contact the distributor to resolve the issue. 

Please note we will only hold your ordered shoes in our studio for a period of 60 days. After 60 days we reserve the right to resell any abandoned orders without refund.