tangophilia blog

When you’re first starting out in tango, you’re free to wear anything comfortable, but as you progress, you may want to consider purchasing dance shoes that are specifically made to be both stylish and able to handle the rigors of frequent dancing. When choosing footwear, keeping the following recommendations in mind should help you dance more comfortably.

• Dress or dance shoes that are comfortable and flexible with leather or suede soles.
• Dress shoes or athletic shoes with rubber soles are acceptable, but you’ll want to make sure the rubber is hard instead of soft. If they’re too grippy, you could hurt your knees while pivoting. Some people have danced comfortably with shoes made for bowling or indoor soccer (these have a suede-like surface on the bottom).
• It is possible to “convert” street shoes to dance shoes: take them to a shoe repair shop and have them apply a thin layer of leather or suede to the soles. This is a good option for some people.
• It is helpful to be able to feel the floor beneath your feet, and to know where your shoes actually end. Platform soles or soles that stick out wider than the toes tend to work against this.
• For women, it is not necessary for you to have high heels, but most women find that wearing heels makes it easier to dance and to keep your weight in the appropriate place. If you’re not already comfortable or used to wearing heels, start with a low heel of 1.5 to 2 inches and then you may consider increasing heel height as you get more comfortable and proficient.
• Many women choose to wear dance sneakers or character shoes with low heels for practicing in class, and then switch to dressier, higher heels for dancing socially.
• If you’re planning on dancing at a milonga or workshop for many hours and are worried that your feet won’t take it: try bringing another pair of shoes to change into later. Changing shoes distributes the pressure on your feet and can alleviate or prevent foot problems caused by persistent pressure or irritation from the shoes on a single place on your foot.