For those of you who are thinking about getting more serious about ballroom dancing, you are probably wondering about what type of shoes to get. Here is some information from me and from another dancer over at American University. They are almost always hand made in England in relatively small quantities. You can get the shoes at competitions, mail order, on line, or at a local dance store. My recommendation is that you buy shoes at a comp or at a store the first time so that you can try them on.
Fit is VERY important.
There is a store in the area called Everything Dance in Gaithersburg about 30 minutes from campus. I have bought shoes there and have been pretty pleased with my purchase. When you are first starting out, one pair of shoes is probably good. Make sure they have a low heal and offer some flexibility in the front of the shoe. The shoe should be extremely soft and flexible around the toes and should fit like a glove.