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Thread: Which dance trainers?

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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    Quote Originally Posted by jojiver View Post
    I do! I have been dancing Ceroc for over 15 years now
    Wow!!! Nearly as long as me. Did you ever go to the London venues in the early-mid 90's?

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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    Quote Originally Posted by vic_s View Post
    Has anyone tried the Sasha trainers?
    Yes - they were my first dance shoes I bought when I started Ceroc. I absolutely loved them at the time - felt they were really supporting around my arch (I have an incredibly high arch in my foot so split soles actually provide me with more support than regular shoes) and they were alot cheaper than the alternatives (Blochs, Capezios etc).

    Having now danced in other sneakers and shoes, on reflection the soles of the Sanchas were much "stickier" so probably aren't great for your knees.

    In asnwer to your quetion about jazz shoes, I used to love these (and still sporadically wear them). They were amazingly fast on the floor so I suddenly found spins much easier than I had in sneakers. Only thing is you sacrifice any support, and the padding on the ball of the foot that you get with a thick soled sneaker is completely removed. After a short time I got used to that, but if padding and support are what you are looking for, probably best to steer away (or opt for a cheap pair so you can try them and not feel gutted if you don't like them).

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    Registered User Lynn's Avatar
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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    Quote Originally Posted by vic_s View Post
    does anyone wear 'Jazz' shoes with suede soles or do they just offer no support?
    I have a pair (amongst my extensive dance shoe collection!) but found that the very thin sole, while lovely at first, meant my feet got tired much more quickly.

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    Senior Member Minnie M's Avatar
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    Re: Which dance trainers?



    --ooOoo--
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    Mickey Mouse's girlfriend, Minnie, made her film debut, along with Mickey, in "Steamboat Willie" on November 18, 1928.
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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    I love my Bloch Stealths. They stopped making them a few years ago and I brought a stock in my size. I'm now down to my last 3 pairs

    I wear my stealths to teach/dance at least 3 nights a week with no problems with my feet that weren't there before I got the stealths.

    I find that the great thing about the Stealths is the very light weight and nice, thin, flat sole. Many of the Bloch split sole dance trainers have clumpy soles which keep the toes and ball of the foot off the floor unless you angle your foot in a way that doesn't suit jive. I had a pair of these clumpy Blochs - they were expensive and awkward.

    I know a lot of people who have converted an old pair of trainers with great success. I know one enterprising young man who found a suede jacket in a charity shop and used that to convert an old pair of trainers for next to nothing. But I also know a lot of ladies and quite a few men who wear proper dance shoes with a fairly low heel and love them. High heels don't seem quite as popular.

    The thing to remember about dance shoes is that they've been designed by experts for a single purpose. That purpose is dancing. Strange people will say that shoes designed for dancing are not suitable for dancing - this could be true if the dance shoes were designed for a completely different dance, for instance, tap shoes or ballet shoes. Or it could be true if a particular person has odd shaped feet or some other special need.

    My advice is to talk to dance shoe experts about what dance shoes are best for your dance needs. And stop listening to people who say 'dance shoes are not suitable for dancing' - just make sure you get the right advice from an expert.

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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    Quote Originally Posted by Andy McGregor View Post
    The thing to remember about dance shoes is that they've been designed by experts for a single purpose. That purpose is dancing. Strange people will say that shoes designed for dancing are not suitable for dancing - this could be true if the dance shoes were designed for a completely different dance, for instance, tap shoes or ballet shoes. Or it could be true if a particular person has odd shaped feet or some other special need.


    The trouble is, a lot of people do have strangely shaped feet, or undiagnosed foot problems. My advice would be to see a podiatrist if you're having problems with dance shoes, or any other type of shoe. Turned out that my plantar fascitis was in good part due to my pronating my feet due to my high/damaged insteps (that means my ankles roll inwards) and I was provided with orthotics - free on the NHS (sorry Rocky!). If anyone else has this problem and is in south London, get yourself referred to the foot clinic at King's - they are absolutely fantastic.

    I have narrow feet with a very high arch, and discovered a couple of years back that the best fit for me tend to be children's shoes, as they are narrower, though I have yet to discover a shoe that completely supports my arch. Nothing throws your balance off more than sliding around in your dance shoes whilst trying to dance I was never stable. Of course this limits what's available, but it does mean that they are a lot cheaper since VAT isn't charged on children's shoes, and they tend to go up to a size 6 at least, maybe even a 7. They're particularly good if you want low heels or WCS style shoes, which I tend to favour during the day at dance weekenders and save any heels for the evening. I also have a pair of Bloch dance trainers. The only time they make it out of the wardrobe is to be taken to a dance weekender for daytime wear (not bad if you're doing classes), but the last couple they've sat in the wardrobe there too.

    I discovered last year that a certain style of high heeled Bloch shoe (Yvette) fits, and this is what I've been using for tango, as I need even better balance than for MJ. But it does worry me that this is the only shoe I can use - have two pairs so far, might have to stockpile them too!

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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    Quote Originally Posted by Twirly View Post


    The trouble is, a lot of people do have strangely shaped feet, or undiagnosed foot problems. My advice would be to see a podiatrist if you're having problems with dance shoes, or any other type of shoe. Turned out that my plantar fascitis was in good part due to my pronating my feet due to my high/damaged insteps (that means my ankles roll inwards) and I was provided with orthotics - free on the NHS (sorry Rocky!). If anyone else has this problem and is in south London, get yourself referred to the foot clinic at King's - they are absolutely fantastic.

    I have narrow feet with a very high arch, and discovered a couple of years back that the best fit for me tend to be children's shoes, as they are narrower, though I have yet to discover a shoe that completely supports my arch. Nothing throws your balance off more than sliding around in your dance shoes whilst trying to dance I was never stable. Of course this limits what's available, but it does mean that they are a lot cheaper since VAT isn't charged on children's shoes, and they tend to go up to a size 6 at least, maybe even a 7. They're particularly good if you want low heels or WCS style shoes, which I tend to favour during the day at dance weekenders and save any heels for the evening. I also have a pair of Bloch dance trainers. The only time they make it out of the wardrobe is to be taken to a dance weekender for daytime wear (not bad if you're doing classes), but the last couple they've sat in the wardrobe there too.

    I discovered last year that a certain style of high heeled Bloch shoe (Yvette) fits, and this is what I've been using for tango, as I need even better balance than for MJ. But it does worry me that this is the only shoe I can use - have two pairs so far, might have to stockpile them too!


    I feel more reassured now that my Bloch sneakers aren't destroying my feet. I have high arches and tend to pronate when I'm getting tired. I have orthotics (out-of-the-box, not moulded to my feet) for my everyday trainers but my gym trainers have good support so I just use the insole they came with (I can't wear any shoes other than trainers because I need a lot of cushioning). And my Blochs hug my feet like lycra and I guess they're well cushioned, too, since dancing never causes my knees to bother me.

    All the same, when I (if I ever) have any money I get get a pair of supportive trainers and put suede on the soles, just for a bit of variety.

    Should also be said that I'm not out dancing every night like some people here are, so this might partly explain my lack of problems.

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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    Quote Originally Posted by meghann View Post
    Should also be said that I'm not out dancing every night like some people here are, so this might partly explain my lack of problems.
    Well done for having a decent perspective on dancing. I'm dancing 4/5 nights a week because it's my business. My dance shoes are my work shoes. I take great care to ensure I work in the right clothes/shoes.

    Some people have told me that working in the dance business spoils dancing for you. In my experience this simply isn't true. I still love dancing, go dancing on my nights off and have full-time professional dancers/teachers who come to my nights on their nights off - for instance, last Friday we were graced by a full-time ballet teacher, full-time ballroom teacher and a professional stage dancer (with posture-to-die-for and great legs - not that I noticed ). They all changed into their proper dance shoes when they arrived.

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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    To what extent are dance shoes/trainers compulsory?

    If they are when should one invest in a pair? Straight away or after a couple of years?

    And should the seriousness of ones participation in dance have anything to do with it?

    By the last question I mean that when I started Ceroc no-one wore dance shoes, apart from the teachers. Possibly because there were no competitions, no taxis, demos were also teachers. So us punters were only dancing for the fun of it (of course it is the same today, but people can also aim to compete, become a taxi or even a teacher).

    I was the first person I know (from my then clique), to buy my black and white dance shoes (which I still wear), and that was after about 3 years. Prior to that we all considered people that we did see wearing them posey so and so's albeit very good dancers. Even Viktor took a while before buying his first shoes, and some of us know how good a dancer he is.

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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    Quote Originally Posted by Andy McGregor View Post
    Well done for having a decent perspective on dancing.
    Thanks but not sure about that...it's more to do with the fact that I'm poor, and even if I wasn't, I don't drive and there aren't enough venues that I can cycle to in order to be dancing every night (unless I take up other dance styles again)

    Quote Originally Posted by Prian View Post
    To what extent are dance shoes/trainers compulsory?
    Well, I know some people who have danced for years and years without buying proper dance shoes. Many men who I know just wear a pair of smooth-soled regular shoes - for some it's a dedicated pair just for dancing in, for others it's a pair they wear every day. I see it less commonly with women but it does happen - once I saw someone dancing very competently in a pair of Uggs

    So if you have a pair of smooth-soled, supportive shoes I guess you'll be okay. As (I think) I said, though, I only wear running trainers and the stickiness of the soles meant that my knees were hurting after every class, so I very quickly got some proper dance shoes - specifically, the ones everyone in the Lindy hop class I started dancing at was wearing at the time, aka Bloch sneakers.

    I think it's nice to have a dedicated pair of shoes for dancing, though. If nothing else it means you don't tread dirt onto the dance floor.

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    Senior Member Minnie M's Avatar
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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    Quote Originally Posted by Prian View Post
    By the last question I mean that when I started Ceroc no-one wore dance shoes, apart from the teachers........
    well I started 17 years ago, and I was told in my first class to wear comfortable shoes with a leather or smooth sole, I wore my 'jazz shoes' before buying a pair of Freed's split soles shortly after.

    Hopefully Lily Barker will see this thread as she started before you Prian, and I am sure she didn't wear her normal street shoes.

    Quote Originally Posted by Prian
    To what extent are dance shoes/trainers compulsory?
    No one said they were, but it makes good sense to wear the correct shoes for the job

    Shoes for dancing don't necessarily have to be bought in Dance shops, but does that not make them "Dance Shoes"
    Last edited by Minnie M; 30th-May-2011 at 08:06 AM.


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    Mickey Mouse's girlfriend, Minnie, made her film debut, along with Mickey, in "Steamboat Willie" on November 18, 1928.
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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    Quote Originally Posted by meghann View Post
    once I saw someone dancing very competently in a pair of Uggs


    I know David Bailey remembers St. Paul's in Onslow Square. For those that don't it is a church that held an unofficial Ceroc class on Friday nights. Well the dance floor was carpet. Very hard to spin on in any type of shoes. And I know of ladies that could wear through a pair of shoes in an evening.

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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    Quote Originally Posted by Minnie M View Post
    Hopefully Lily Barker will see this thread as she started before you Prian, and I am sure she didn't wear her normal street shoes.
    I'm sure that there were people who changed their shoes to dance in, I just never saw them or perhaps noticed is a better word. But it occurs to me that there may have been another factor. In London especially there were only 4 venues. Two in the West End, one in Farringdon and one in Fulham. So most people, well beginners anyway would come straight from work and therefore not have a change of anything.

    We were just told to wear whatever was comfortable, which for most people I knew then was whatever they arrived in.

    Quote Originally Posted by Minnie M View Post
    No one said they were, but it makes good sense to wear the correct shoes for the job


    I really noticed the difference when I wore proper shoes. One got a better feel for the floor especially somewhere like Hammersmith, and spinning became easier too.

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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    Quote Originally Posted by Prian View Post
    To what extent are dance shoes/trainers compulsory?

    If they are when should one invest in a pair? Straight away or after a couple of years?

    And should the seriousness of ones participation in dance have anything to do with it?
    Would you actually like the answer to any of these questions? Or are you asking questions for some other, unstated, reason?

    On the subject of wearing the shoes to do the job, you could wear sailing shoes to play squash. You could even wear you sailing clothes including fingerless gloves! You'd still play the game, but not as well or in as much comfort as you would if you were wearing the correct attire.

    If you are playing squash once a week, at the very least, you'd wear sports shoes: you might even invest in some squash shoes. The same goes for dancing, to maximise your comfort and enjoyment you need the right shoes once you've decided it's something you're going to be doing regularly.

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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    Quote Originally Posted by Brian View Post
    To what extent are dance shoes/trainers compulsory?

    .

    Never come across any rules about shoes in MJ


    Apart from smiling, showering and not refusing a dance, I dont think there are any rules in MJ, at all

    Argentinian Tango, now that a different matter

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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    Quote Originally Posted by Andy McGregor View Post
    The same goes for dancing, to maximise your comfort and enjoyment you need the right shoes once you've decided it's something you're going to be doing regularly.
    I think on reflection that this is the point I was trying to make and you have pointed it out succinctly. And I may have erred on the word compulsory.

    So let me try another tack. When I started Ceroc there were apparently 40,000 Ceroc members nationwide (how many total MJ dancers I don't know). Today I believe Ceroc claims around one million members. But I am sure the ratio of dancers wearing "dance shoes" has gone up. Would this be just down to awareness or trend?

    There certainly used to be the impression, at that time (largely by beginners), that someone who wore dedicated shoes especially the two tone jazz shoes were posers or experts.

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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    Quote Originally Posted by Prian View Post
    ./snip/..... someone who wore dedicated shoes especially the two tone jazz shoes were posers or experts.
    True, but it only referred to Black & White men's shoes - and that was only at the very start of MJ - wasn't long when most men owned a pair regardless of their ability


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    That date is recognized as her official birthday.

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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    Quote Originally Posted by Minnie M View Post
    True, but it only referred to Black & White men's shoes - and that was only at the very start of MJ - wasn't long when most men owned a pair regardless of their ability


    Like me in fact. And the first thing any beginner said to me (having seen the shoes). during the class was "you must be really good at this." Or of course they said nothing because they thought I was a poser.

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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    There are people at my regular venue who actively encourage new dancers to get proper shoes if they're dancing in something completely unsuitable. Although they regularly mistake my blochs for fashion trainers so it's possible they don't really know much about it This venue did used to have a concession stand from a local dance shoes vendor every couple of months, though, so advertising may be at the root of this

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    Re: Which dance trainers?

    Quote Originally Posted by meghann View Post
    There are people at my regular venue who actively encourage new dancers to get proper shoes
    I encourage people to get a pair of dance shoes. There's two reasons, the first is because dancing is much more enjoyable in the right shoes, the second reason is that people are much more likely to continue dancing if they have invested in some shoes and those shoes make their dancing more enjoyable.

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