It's time to go shopping!
Now that you've selected a partner, it's time to get geared up!
Shoes
Our team takes semesterly shoe trips to Patterson's Back Bay Dancewear in Burlington, MA. Patterson's provides dance wear (tap, ballet, ballroom, etc.) and shoes! Here is a quick guide to finding the right pair for you:
Followers
If you're dancing all four styles, it is recommended that you purchase Latin shoes if you do not want to purchase another pair immediately. Look for a color that is close to your skin tone- you don't want to bring too much attention to your feet. Generally, these heels run from 2.5'-3.5' tall. These shoes are sandal-like. If you're only dancing smooth and standard, you will purchase shoes specific to those styles, which are generally 2'-2.5' tall and are closed-toe.
Leaders
Standard shoes have roughly a 1.5', while leaders' Latin shoes can be 2-2.5'. Generally, you'll want to purchase smooth/standard shoes if you only want to make one purchase. There are usually two options - split sole and full sole. Split sole, is, as you may have guessed, split in the middle. This allows for more flexibility when pointing the toe, and is recommended for practice shoes and for Latin.
What's a good fit?
Your shoes should be pretty snug, but not to the point where they hurt your feet as soon as you try them on. They will expand over time. If they seem to fit "well/normally" from the start, they will expand and become too large later on. Ask your senior teammates or the store employees for assistance with sizing. Latin shoes for followers are generally about three sizes smaller than your actual street shoe size, but may vary!
Breaking in Your Shoes
No matter what you do, this is going to be a painful process. Our best advice to you is to wear them around your dorm room with thick socks on to stretch them out. Carry a few bandaids and Neosporin with you the first few times you practice with the shoes on!
Shoes
Our team takes semesterly shoe trips to Patterson's Back Bay Dancewear in Burlington, MA. Patterson's provides dance wear (tap, ballet, ballroom, etc.) and shoes! Here is a quick guide to finding the right pair for you:
Followers
If you're dancing all four styles, it is recommended that you purchase Latin shoes if you do not want to purchase another pair immediately. Look for a color that is close to your skin tone- you don't want to bring too much attention to your feet. Generally, these heels run from 2.5'-3.5' tall. These shoes are sandal-like. If you're only dancing smooth and standard, you will purchase shoes specific to those styles, which are generally 2'-2.5' tall and are closed-toe.
Leaders
Standard shoes have roughly a 1.5', while leaders' Latin shoes can be 2-2.5'. Generally, you'll want to purchase smooth/standard shoes if you only want to make one purchase. There are usually two options - split sole and full sole. Split sole, is, as you may have guessed, split in the middle. This allows for more flexibility when pointing the toe, and is recommended for practice shoes and for Latin.
What's a good fit?
Your shoes should be pretty snug, but not to the point where they hurt your feet as soon as you try them on. They will expand over time. If they seem to fit "well/normally" from the start, they will expand and become too large later on. Ask your senior teammates or the store employees for assistance with sizing. Latin shoes for followers are generally about three sizes smaller than your actual street shoe size, but may vary!
Breaking in Your Shoes
No matter what you do, this is going to be a painful process. Our best advice to you is to wear them around your dorm room with thick socks on to stretch them out. Carry a few bandaids and Neosporin with you the first few times you practice with the shoes on!
