From: air@cs.cmu.edu (Alex Rudnicky)
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
Subject: Shoes, etc.
Date: 7 Jan 93 23:28:28 GMT
Article-I.D.: cs.C0IBvG.BoA.2
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon

The following post is from a friend who's having difficulties with 
their posting software:


I am avid dancer and find different dance forms such as squares,
contras, clogging, swing and vintage each requires a slightly
different pair of shoes. Even more so, different floor conditions
require different shoes (for example slick wood, sticky wood,
linoleum, or if desperate to dance, cement floors).  Investment in a
few good pairs of dance shoes is well worth it.  Although I have two
stock pairs that I can survive with in just about any conditions, I
have been known to attend dance weekends with 10-12 pairs of shoes if
I am not sure of the floor quality ahead of time. Of course this is
extreme.

The following are my thoughts on 1. dance shoes 2. soles of shoes 3.
insoles (critical!).  Sixteen years of dancing, lots of
experimentation and research, and an opinionated attitude goes before.

1. shoes

I assume everyone who has been referring to "Capezios" are referring
to jazz flats.  These are soft leather shoes that fit like gloves and
have suede bottoms, with occasionally a half heel of solid rubber or
plastic.  There are different brands and unfortunately some of the
heels leave black marks on floors.  (This does not damage the floor
but it does damage the reputation of dancers with the management of
dance halls.)  These shoes are good for dances where being on the ball
of the foot or on ones toes is common because they are so soft, but
they have absolutely no support and are not good for an evening of
intense dancing.

Capezio also makes "character shoes".  In womens shoes they are 1.5 or
2 inch heels, hard leather, and are often found on vintage dancers as
they have a sort of classic look. My personal experience with them is
I like them for Tango, but heels are uncomfortable for most other
types of dancing.  I also feel heels, as well as heavy shoes/boots,
are outright dangerous in crowded dance conditions (both to the wearer
and to those in close proximity,) because you are less sensitive to
where your foot is being placed.

The men's Capezio character shoes are a very nice leather oxford shoe,
with good support but soft enough leather to be flexible enough for
most types of dance. They have a soft leather sole and can be resoled,
although since they are leather, and are not suede, these are NOT
acceptable in most locations that specify soft-soled-shoes.  I'm not
familiar with the other options for mens shoes with Capezio but most
dance supply stores have catalogues for both Capezio and other brands
and are worth looking at.

I have found that mens shoes are often made better and have *less*
pointed toes (which makes dancing feet much happier).  The Capezio
men's character shoes are not made small enough for my feet (womens
size 7) and Tom McAnns stopped making their boys oxford that was very
comparable (and that I presently live in for clogging and square
dancing and actually walking) so I no longer have a personal source
for this sort of shoe.  It is possible JC Pennys has an oxford in boys
sizes.

An excellent source for quality womens shoes, (although I am not fond
of their men's shoes) is a mail order company called "Coast Shoes".
This is a square dance shoe company and they have a whole line of
dance shoes that are the perfect compromise between the jazz flats and
the oxfords.  They are mostly suede bottomed, leather shoes, with some
support but soft enough to move in.  Most of the shoes have some
insole cushioning, which jazz flats sorely lack.  The shoes come in a
range of heel heights from flat to slight heels to high heels.  Now
after all this I have to admit I lost their address but they have a
booth at NEFFA every year and maybe if someone from NEFFA is reading
this they might be willing to track down an address and post it.

Running shoes: these are a must if you have the misfortune to have to
dance on a cement floor.  This includes linoleum or parquet or even
regular wood floors that have been (ugh!) laid down directly on
cement. This is not just for the feet but for the knees, back, and
every muscle in your body.  It usually hits the next day, that "I must
be getting too old for this" feeling that is more likely due to the
floor than your age.

2. Soles 

I've covered most of this already but some additions:

I like the idea of attaching different soles to running shoes, haven't
tried it myself since I'm happy with my shoe selection. I suspect many
shoe repair places will be reluctant to try this with any guarantee of
their work but a good cobbler will work with you.  It may require
regular re-gluing maintenance but would be worth it.

Sticky shoes- this can be a real problem.  Besides being awkward and
thus less fun you can pull muscles and injure yourself fighting the
stickiness.

Slick shoes- this can also be a real problem. Injury from falls the
most obvious problem.  Less fun dancing because of having to be
careful is the more common problem.

Both of these problems are a combination of shoes and floor surface.
Again, I recommend a selection of shoes, at least 1 slick pair and 1
sticky pair to be carried to every dance.  Something like a suede
soled pair and running shoes seem to cover it all.

If you can afford to have dedicated dance shoes that are not worn on
the streets it is a good idea.  They are better for the floors, better
to dance on, and last much longer.

Also, even when not specified by the dance organizers, the softer the
sole the better for the floor.  Many dancers are loosing their dance
halls because of floor damage.  Its best to not wait until the floor
is damaged to start worrying about keeping it nice.

Note to cloggers: I find a microlite or neoprene sole better than a
hard leather sole.  They make a clearer, less muffled sound but more
importantly are less sensitive to bad floor conditions. ( ie. less
sticky in sticky conditions and less slick in slick conditions)


3.) Insoles:

I am a major fan of Dr. Scholls SPORT INSOLES.  These are gray
colored, very dense, insoles, that cost about $5.00 apiece. These are
no larger than normal insoles but give an amazing amount of "cush".  I
tack on the price of a pair in my head for every pair of shoes I buy.

Its a good idea to have insoles with you when buying shoes.
Especially if you are using any of the larger sized ones like "back
guards" or running shoe inserts.

Whew... didn't expect to ramble so long.  I would still be interested
in hearing more thoughts on shoes, I'm always looking for better
options.  My email address is

	clog@vms.cis.pitt.edu

								Lisa Tamres
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing