Copyright © 2007 Steve Shaw.  All rights reserved.

SHOES FOR DANCING

WHERE TO BUY AND REPAIR SHOES FOR DANCING

Here are a few stores to start your search for salsa dancing shoes, which are basically ballroom and/or jazz shoes.  Call first to check for addresses and stock (these stores tend to move from time to time, or to discontinue certain shoe lines).  Remember that many salsa dancers dance in regular street shoes, especially the men.  This is a topic of disagreement, with some dancers saying one must absolutely wear professional dance shoes and with other dancers saying that, as long as your shoes are comfortable & supportive and have the proper sole, you can dance very well in street shoes.  It's really just a matter of personal preference.

Regarding the sole:  Depending on the dance surface, you will need different soles on your shoes, ranging from slippery to sticky.  Hard smooth leather is the most slippery, suede is somewhat "medium", and rubber with a design in it is the most sticky.  Most serious dancers have several pairs of shoes with different soles so they can be prepared for any surface, and many also bring along baby powder for very sticky floors and stick on pads or a wire brush for very slippery floors.  Shoe repair shops can easily change the sole of any shoe.

Where To Repair Shoes -   Here again there is a difference of opinion as to whether you should have dancing shoes repaired at a specialist or at just any neighborhood shoe repair.  If you want a dance shoe specialist, here are probably a number of shoe repair places specializing in dance shoes, but this is the only one I know of.  He's been there for years, is trusted by dancers, and has somewhat above-average Manhattan prices.

On Stage Dance Shop - 197 Madison Avenue (between 34th and 35th Streets), NYC.  212-725-1174 and 866-725-1174.   www.CapezioNY.com .  They have a full time, expert shoe repair who specializes in dancing shoes (he even customizes the Radio City Rocketts shoes).  This store also sells many different brands of dance shoes (eg. Capezio, Freed, Vert Fine, Bloch, Sancha, etc.) in addition to the shoe repair shop.  15% discount if you mention www.SalsaNewYork.com or take in our Discount Coupon.  This is a family owned business which has been running for more than 25 years.

If you don't want a dance shoe specialist, then just choose a good quality local shoe repair place.  I have often gone to the following shop with good results (no guarantees, though, about price and service).

Men's Fashionable Shoe Repair - 196 Seventh Avenue (between 21st & 22nd Streets), NYC.   212-675-0718.

Where To Buy Dance Shoes - Stores 

Bloch Dance Shoes - Bloch is in international maker of dancing shoes.  Their local company store is Bloch New York Store, 304 Colombus Avenue, New York, NY  10023.  Phone 212-579-1960.   CLICK HERE and enter your zip code to see all the local NYC area dealers where you can see and buy these shoes.

Capezio Dance-Theater Shop - 1650 Broadway (at 51st Street), 2nd floor, NYC.  212-245-2130.  See the Capezio Web Site. 

Capezio - 1776 Broadway (at 57th Street), upstairs, NYC.  212-586-5140.  See the Capezio Web Site. 

Capezio East - 136 East 61st Street (at Lexington Avenue), NYC.  212-758-8833.  See the Capezio Web Site. 

Capezio East Uptown - 1651 Third Avenue (near 93rd Street), 3rd floor, NYC.  212-348-7210.  See the Capezio Web Site. 

Capezio Factory Outlet Store -   1651 Route 23 South, Brentwood Plaza, Wayne, NJ.  07470.  973-633-7001.  Fax 973-633-7027.  Call first to ask if they have the shoe model and size you need.  More info by clicking on Factory Outlet .

Capezio of Long Island -    232 Sunrise Highway, Rockville Center, NY.  516-764-1199.  Web site   www.capeziorvc.com   .

DanZ 2000 -   4335 Union Street, #4N, between Cherry & 45th Avenue, Flushing, Queens, NY.   718-539-9803.  Web site  www.DanZ2000.com .  Sells ballroom shoes, accessories, fashion jewelry, various styles of tights, shoes from Italy, England and Brazil.  Has aids to help keep dance shoes from slipping.  Products can be purchased at their store or ordered from the web site, which shows pictures.

Freed of London - 21-01 43rd Avenue, Long Island City, Queens, NY.  11101.  718-729-6104 or toll free 800-835-1701.  Subway:  E or V train to 23rd Street/Ely Avenue Station.  Web site:  www.FreedOfLondon.com which has travel instructions (click on About Us).  Email:  USsales@freedoflondon.com . 

LaDuca Shoes -  534 9th Avenue (between 39th & 40th Streets), midtown Manhattan, NYC, 10018.  Phones - 212 268-6751.
 212 268-6561 (fax).  Web site:  www.LaDucaShoes.com .  Email:  laducadanz@aol.com .

New Image Comfort Shoes & Dance Supplies - 43 Westchester Square (@ East Tremont & Frisby Avenue), Bronx, NY. 
718-319-0829 .

On Stage Dance Shop - 197 Madison Avenue (between 34th and 35th Streets), NYC.  212-725-1174.  www.CapezioNY.com .  Sells many different brands of dance shoes (eg. Capezio, Freed, Vert Fine, Bloch, Sancha, etc.) & also has a shoe repair shop.  10% discount if you mention www.SalsaNewYork.com .

Piel Canela Dance Studio Shoe Store - Operated by mambo instructor and performer Joe Burgos of Piel Canela Dancers and Piel Canela Dance Studio in New York City, also available mail-order.  Click on Shoe Store for shoe samples, store location and ordering information.  See their web site at www.PielCanelaDancers.com .

World Tone Shoes - 230 7th Avenue (between 23rd and 24th Streets), upstairs, NYC.  212-691-1934.  Popular among dancers for their wide selection of different styles and brands, and somewhat lower prices.

Custom Made Dance Shoes -

Malambo Custom Made Dance Shoes -  Sergio makes custom-made men's and lady's dance shoes and slippers for mambo performers here in the New York City area and elsewhere.  He has made them for such dance companies as the Eddie Torres Dancers,  Piel Canela Dance Company,  Vitico "La Magia" Dancers, as well as for individual dancers and performers.  He can make many different styles and colors in special designs he has created or designs that you create.  He takes measurements of your feet and then has the shoes made in a contract shoe factory which takes about 3 weeks.  The prices are very reasonable when you consider these shoes are custom-made.  Contact Sergio at 718-492-8236 and MalamboDanceShoe@hotmail.com .  Since he travels as part of his work, be sure to contact him at both his phone number and email address.

Where To Buy Dance Shoes  On The Internet -

Salsera con Shoes -  Web site:  www.salsaweb.com/janette .  Email:  janette@salsaweb.com .  Phone:  (562) 426-0657 - Go to this web site to see pictures of complete lines of ladies' and men's dancing shoes, including options allowing you to choose styles, colors, fabrics and heel sizes.   Available for order over the internet.

DanZ 2000 - Click here to see my description of this company above.   

Showtime Dance Shoes - Web site:  www.ShowTimeDanceShoes.com  .  Has several brands of ladies', men's and children's dance shoes with pictures,  plus other related information.  Products can be ordered over the internet or by phone.

www.ILoveMambo.com - Official distributor of Magic Dance Shoes is our local NY salsera Kazu.  They have over 70 different dance shoe styles in over 200 different colors and textures.  Contact 917-334-1855, email is ILoveMambo@earthlink.net .

www.DanceHappy.com - Mens & ladies shoes for all types of dancing and performing.

www.DanceShoesStore.com  - Latin dance and ballroom dance shoes.

Magic Dance Shoes - New York distributor is fellow salsa dancer Kazu - Click Here for information.

www.LatinDanceStore.com  - Men's and ladies' shoes for performing & social dancing, plus ladies' clothing, costumes, accessories.
 

STREET SHOES OR DANCING SHOES  -  Which Shoes For Different Dance Surfaces?

You go to the Copa, it's so slippery you almost fall.  You go to other places, the floor is very sticky, uneven or rough, or an outdoor event has dancing on pavement, grass or Astro-Turf.  What shoes are best to wear?  The answer is "different shoes".  Experienced dancers have shoes with different bottoms for these different dancing surfaces.  If the floor is sticky, you need smooth leather or maybe suede bottoms.  If the floor is slippery, you'll probably need some kind of rubber bottoms on your shoes.  If it's pavement, like at an outdoor event in the summer, you don't want to use a delicate leather or suede bottom dance shoe (eg. Capezio) because the pavement will ruin the leather.  For that matter, so will walking in the street, especially in wet weather.  That's why you'll see some dancers wearing their street shoes to get to a club, and then changing to dancing shoes once they get there.  The one shoe that seems to be good for all surfaces, and can be worn in the street, is the Capezio dance sneaker, which comes in different colors.  Great for classes, practicing, outdoor events, and studio parties, it is unfortunately not really dressy enough for more dressed-up events and clubs.

Some people like to wear genuine dancing shoes out.   Others use certain street shoes which they've found are good for dancing.  You have to experiment and find what suits you and your dancing style best.  Most dancing and dress shoes come with leather soles which may be too slippery for certain dance surfaces.  You can get a very thin rubber layer put onto the soles of your shoes which prevents them from slipping on a slick dance floor (such as the Copacabana).   The rubber has a grid pattern for adhesion, and is either glued or sewn onto your present leather soles by a shoe repair shop.  Because it is thin, your shoe's sole stays almost the same thickness, so that it is almost as flexible, and it doesn't get a "bulky" look to it.  One brand is called "Sole Guard", but there are others as well.

These can be put onto dancing shoes that are slipping.  They can also be put onto street shoes, for those of you who don't like to wear dancing shoes out to a club.  Although nothing beats dancing shoes for comfort, flexibility,  lightness and quickness, street shoes are often almost as good, and are tougher for wearing on the street, especially in bad weather, to and from the club or salsa event, and often blend better with the rest of your  outfit.  Remember one thing though:   since these rubber bottoms are designed to prevent you from slipping, they also prevent you from spinning as well.  For the ladies, if you want to do double and triple turns on a dance floor that's a little rough or sticky, these rubber bottoms would not be good.  For the guys, if all you do are single or 1 1/2 turns, you'll be OK with these;  but if you do multiple spins or axle turns, these rubber bottoms will make it very difficult.  As I mention above, professional and serious dancers often have several shoes each with different soles, and choose which shoe to wear based on the floor surface where they'll be dancing. 

These thin rubber layers can be gotten at most shoe repair shops, at prices ranging from $14 to around $20.  The important consideration is that they be as thin as possible.  I get mine at Men's Fashionable Shoe Repair, 196 Seventh Avenue (between 21st & 22nd Streets), NYC.   212-675-0718, at a cost of $14.  They can also be gotten at Pete's Theatrical Shoe Repair at Capezio (see above);  these come thicker, but replace the original half-sole, and cost more.

And here are three emergency measures for slippery dancing conditions.  1)  Many shoe repair shops sell a little stick-on pad that you apply to the bottoms of your shoes.  One brand is called "Shur-Grip".  The pads have a gritty surface, so they prevent slipping.  They only last a little while, probably a few nights of dancing.  You could buy a few of these and keep them with you for certain occasions.   I've only seen them in women's sizes, although these small pads could be used on men's shoes and would still be helpful.  2)  A small wire shoe brush can be bought in most shoe stores, such as World Tone .  If you find yourself slipping, you can scrape the soles of your shoes with the wire brush, and they'll stick a little better.   3)  The sticky soda solution:  Get some soda like Coke, 7 Up, ginger ale, etc., and pour some on a napkin or the floor.  Then dab your shoe soles in the soda;  if they are leather or suede, let the leather really soak up the soda.  Because the soda has sugar and/or syrup, it makes the shoes more sticky temporarily, at least for a few dances.  Keep the soda around so you can keep applying more as the shoes get slippery again.