Wearing them outdoors means destroying the pristine quality of the sole. If you wear them only for dancing, they will last a long time. The choice of hard leather, soft leather or suede soles is an individual one, based on your feet, your preference, and your budget. However, they offer little support for your feet and may be too soft for some people. They usually last longer than soft-soled shoes.
Some people find spinning and gliding across the floor easier with hard leather soles.
Suede soles can be glued onto many non-traditional shoes. However, they are easily ruined by wearing them outdoors or getting them wet. Women have three choices at the basic level. The Oxford flat has hard leather or suede soles, and the Character shoe has a choice of soles, with 1.5 or 22 heel. More selection and fashion styles and colors are available for both men and women with European style ballroom dance shoes at some stores.