Practice Shoes

Practice shoes are by far my favorite shoes! They are mostly bought by ballroom and Latin dancers who spend a lot of time teaching and/or practicing. They are available for men or women, but because the comfort difference is far greater between a woman’s competition shoe and a woman’s practice shoe, these shoes are particularly popular with women. Generally they are black and come in a 1 ½” chunky heel for women, but they also come in a variety of heel styles, colors, and wild patterns. They look similar to a man’s International Latin shoe, but they have small holes for breathe-ability. I recommend Supadance or International Dance Shoes brands. 

I recommend this type of shoe to any female partner dancer who is uncomfortable in their strappy heels after a few hours. Practice shoes are designed for comfort and function. I always bring these shoes along when I know I will have a long practice. I’ll wear my Latin shoes for a couple hours and then switch into these comfy shoes. Or I may teach in my practice shoes, if I’m going out dancing later that night. If I wear pants or jeans to a casual club, I may wear these shoes if I wore my Latin heels the night before. If you are a competitor, performer, or want to be the best dancer you can be, it’s best to use these shoes in moderation it is important to keep you and your partner used to the shoes you will be using when you perform or compete.  If you don’t have aspirations to compete or perform in traditional dance shoes, these would also be a great shoe to wear all the time. 

Split-Sole or Full-Sole?
For dancers that want maximum flexibility  in their practice shoes so that they can fully point their toes, look for a practice shoe that comes in a “Split-Sole”‘. If you are buying practice shoes because you want extra support and stability , then opt for a practice shoe with a  “Full-Sole”. A full sole has a metal shank that goes through the through the insole.