FITTING AND CARE FOR YOUR SHOES

General Fitting
Dance shoes are generally worn more snug than street shoes.  They must fit snugly, but without pinching, to maintain balance on the dance floor.  The shoes will stretch so they must start out tighter than they will normally be worn.  However, the shoes should not hurt.  Glove snug is the goal.  Please try to consider if the fit is uncomfortable, or just different from a street shoe.

Closed Toe Fitting
In closed-toe styles (women's and men's) the toes should be as close to the end of the shoe as comfortable, without crunching your toes.

Open Toe Fitting
In open-toe shoes the sole should be completely covered by your feet; some dancers prefer their toes go over the sole by up to 1/4 inch.  This is subject to wearer preference; some ladies are very uncomfortable with coming to or over the end of the sole.  We suggest going as short as is comfortable for you.

Sizing
All Showtime shoes are in UK (European sizing) sizes.  Below is a conversion for approximate UK size.  Please call them for style exceptions or additional assistance.
 

·         Women's Closed Toe Subtract 2 from your US size for UK size

·         Women's Open Toe - Subtract 2½ from your US size for UK size

·         Men's - Subtract 1 from your US size for approximate UK size

·         Girl's - Subtract ½ from your US size for UK size (for UK Sizes 10-13)

·         Boy's - Subtract ½ from your US size for UK size (for UK Sizes less than 5)

Shoe Care
We highly recommend purchasing a “Shoe Brush” (under accessories) for brushing the suede soles of the shoes to keep them free of wax build up from the dance floor.  The wax will cause soles to wear out faster.

Also make sure to never wear your dance shoes outside. 

Men's shoes should be cared for like any leather shoe. 

Ladies fabric shoes can be cleaned with a damp cloth for light dirt, or shoe fabric cleaner.

Mens Shoes

When you are first starting out, one pair of shoes is probably good.

As you get more competitive, a separate pair of shoes for Latin/Rhythm and Standard/Smooth is very helpful.  Make sure they have a low heal and offer some flexibility in the front of the shoe.

·         For Standard/Smooth, you will want a shoe with a shorter heel (unless your partner is taller than you) and a much more rigid sole for support. 

·         For Latin/Rhythm, you want a pair of Cuban heels (a men's dance shoe with about a 1-inch heel).  The shoe should be extremely soft and flexible around the toes and should fit like a glove.  The flexibility in the shoe allows you to work your feet off of the floor and also point your foot (which you should be doing A LOT J)

Just a note:

·         Leather is preferred by most, will stretch a little, and can become more form fitting. 

·         Nubuck is a nice material but it doesn't stretch.

·         Don't go with Patent Leather (it looks really shiny but is a big pain because the shoes will tend to stick together every time your feet brush together).

Ladies Shoes:

·         Get a 2 or 2.5 inch heel for Standard/Smooth, and a 3-inch heel for Latin/Rhythm as they create better/longer lines and are preferred by judges. 

·         For competition, stick with skin-toned shoes (especially on Latin shoes!).  Do not buy darker colored satin shoes unless they match your legs.

·         The goal of skin-toned shoes (while they may look ugly or dull in the catalogs), is to make your legs look longer and make your footwork mistakes less noticeable.  If you do buy flashy shoes, make sure you have dresses and ability that will go with them.

·         Closed toed shoes are designed for Smooth and Standard dances (Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Quickstep, and Viennese Waltz).

·         Open toed shoes are for Latin and Rhythm (ChaCha, Rumba, Samba, Swing, Jive, Paso Doblé, etc.).

** Be sure to purchase “Heel Tips” (under accessories) to extend the life of the heels on your shoes!! **