FOOTWEAR FOR TANGO
Correct Footwear Will Make Your Dancing Much Better & Much More Comfortable . . .
Hello All My Tango Friends:
Greetings and salutations!
In Tango, we do a lot of pivoting & walking on a wood dance floor. All night long, dancing Tango involves pivots, figure eights, chain steps, swivels, etc.
If you like Tango, and wish to stay involved long-term (and in order to make dancing more comfortable), you might want to invest in a pair of ballroom or tango dance shoes. These are specially designed to walk & freely pivot on a wood dance floor. They have either leather or suede soles, and a strap or laces over the top of the ankle to keep the shoe on the foot. Usually a woman’s shoe has a 3 or 4-inch heel, and a man’s shoe has a 1-inch heel.
You should avoid wearing flip-flops, slip-ons, platforms, boots, athletic footwear, or shoes with soles of synthetic materials like nylon or rubber (since these will grip the floor, and prevent you from pivoting freely). Avoid patent leather, or shoes with protruding welts on their edges.
Temporarily, dress shoes with leather soles, or even thick socks, might work.
IN-PERSON PURCHASES FROM VENDORS OR BRICK-AND-MORTAR STORES FOR TANGO SHOES ARE ALWAYS BEST:
When it comes to Tango shoes, it is always best to purchase them in-person from a vendor, or at an old-fashioned brick-and-mortar store, in order to ensure that the shoes fit properly.
In the Las Vegas Valley, there are some local shoe stores that I can recommend. First, there is a discount store near Eastern & Sunset that seems to have the best prices:
1) DANCE 4 LESS, DISCOUNT DANCE SHOES & DANCEWEAR, 2700 E. Patrick Ln., Las Vegas, NV 89120. This is at the corner of Patrick Ln. and Harrison, just east of Eastern Ave., and north of Sunset, near a Walmart Super Center. They are open till 6 pm, I believe. Phone: (702) 262-7946, email: Service@Dance4Less.Com, and website: www.Dance4Less.Com. If you mention that you study dance at Step By Step Studio @ The Stage in Anthem, you will receive a discount.
2) JUDY’S DANCE SHOPPE has been recommended by some of my students: 2762 N. Green Valley Pkwy., Henderson, NV 89014. Their hours are Mon-Sat 10 am – 6 pm, and Sunday 11 am – 3 pm. Phone: (702) 450-7900, and website: www.JudysDance.Com.
3) STAR COSTUME & THEATRICAL SUPPLY (they carry “Coast Ballroom Shoes”), 3230 S. Valley View (at the northwest corner of Valley View & Desert Inn), Las Vegas, NV 89102. Phone: (702) 731-5041, and email: StarCostume@Yahoo.Com. They are open Mon-Sat 10 am to 6 pm.
Spend some time at the store, and make sure the shoes fit properly before purchasing them.
PURCHASING TANGO SHOES ONLINE:
For shoes purchased online, I can recommend 2 sites for Tango shoes:
1) Yolanda Rossi, in Glendale, CA, is a wonderful Tango clothes designer, and imports the best Tango shoes from Buenos Aires and Europe. She is also a wonderful dancer & person from Buenos Aires, and a former Tango partner of mine. You can visit her websites, www.ShoesByYolanda.Com and www.TangoSplash.Com, and see a lot of what she has to offer. You can email her at ShoesByYolanda@GMail.Com and ShoesByYolanda@TangoSplash.Com. Her phone is (818) 244-2136.
2) Shelli’s Shoes, in Tucson, AZ. She has a fine reputation, and is recommended by pioneering Tango instructors Danel & Maria, who publish “The Tango Times” magazine. Visit Shelli’s website: www.ShoesByShelli.Com. You can email her at LittleTango@Cox.Net. Her phone is (520) 749-0266.
NOTE: Please keep in mind that sometimes shoes ordered online have to be returned because they don’t fit perfectly; each shoe company seems to measure sizes differently. Therefore, ask about the site’s return policy. Ask If you can be sent several different sizes, and keep the ones that fit, and return the ones that don’t.