Charleston Shoes - What to choose?

From Han Christian Andersen’s Red Shoes to Cinderella’s glass slippers, dance shoes have often been imbued with magical qualities. So how important is it to get the right shoes when dancing the Charleston? Whilst in many dance forms just bare feet is fine, The Charleston really does require the right footwear. 

The main reason shoes are so important in Charleston is so you can swivel the feet; the foot swivel is a defining characteristic of the Charleston style so non-grip shoes are a must. Back in the day dance floors were waxed and offered a lot of glide, modern dance floors and studios are smooth but not slippy. The dilemma then is getting shoes which offer some glide but not so much that you end up kissing the floor with your bum. Another thing to consider is how much support the shoes offer the foot, if you have weak ankles or collapsed foot arches you will need more supportive shoes.

So here is the low down on shoes we know and love and the pros and cons of each …

Greek Sandals – Cheap, light, strike a good balance between grip and slide. The down side is they don’t offer much support and they definitely aren’t outdoor shoes, so save them for the dance studio and you’ll perfect your swivel in no time.

Jazz Trainers – More on the grippy side but offer good support to the foot, super comfy and hardwearing.

Jazz Shoes – Light and good for swivel, again they offer limited support but one up on Greek sandals.

Toms – These fashion shoes are very popular in the Lindy Hop scene. They are a solid pair of shoes, good on swivel but the soles don’t offer great flexibility.

Character Shoes – A lot of dancer find a bit of heel is actually quite helpful. I’m a big fan of character shoes but would advise going to a dance shop and getting ones which are a really good fit, if the feet are in any way sliding within the shoes you will feel unstable.

Fashion Shoes – Well its luck of the draw but some of the best shoes people have showed up to class in have been bought in Charity Shops – Win! Often in the style of pumps or brogues the best ones tend to be made of softish leather and with leather soles which offer glide.

For a list of recommended shoes, take a look at our shopping list here: https://mycharlestondance.com/shoes

Happy Shoe Shopping!

Fiona

Charleston Shoes - Where to look?

The most important thing for a dancer is the shoe. For us Charleston dancers it is important to find a footwear, which we are stable in and which has a smooth sole, so that we can swivel over the dance floor. In this blog we would like to introduce you to some shops, which are worth checking out in the search for your perfect dance shoe.

Charlie Stone shoes

Aris Allen
Aris Allen is a shoe brand which offers dance shoes with a suede sole for women and men. The shoes are designed by swing dancers for other swing dancers.
Price range: £39 - £62
https://arisallen.com/

Charlie Stone
This brand offers Greek Sandals with a unique design with hidden elevation for better arch, ankle and knee support. All shoes have leather upper and lining and a smooth sole, so that you can swivel perfectly over the dance floor
Price range: £82 – £93
https://www.charliestoneshoes.com/collections/all

Slide&Swing shoes

Bleyer Shoes
Bleyer Shoes offers many different styles of dance shoes for both, men and women. The brand is run by a UK based company called The Swing Dance Company Limited.

Price range: £40 - £115
http://bleyershoes.com/

Slide&Swing
Slide&Swing is a really new brand, which established in Spain in 2013. You can get dance shoes for both men and women there, and they are all handmade with an upper, lining and sole all in leather, so the shoe is very light and smooth.
Price range: £111 - £155
https://www.slideandswing.es/shop/

Saint Savoy
These dance shoes for men and women are a bit more pricey, but you get really beautiful classic dance shoes with leather soles or synthetic soles. All shoes are tested by professional dancers to see if the shoe really makes a good dance shoe considering the comfort of your feet while dancing.
Price range: £165 - £196
https://www.saintsavoy.com/

Saint Savoy shoes

If you don’t want to buy dance shoes, because you already have shoes which fit your feet perfectly and you know you could dance in them all night long, but the sole is not smooth enough, you could resole your shoes with a leather sole.

We already wrote a blog about the different types of shoes there are. If you want to know which shoe could be fitting for you and the pros and cons of each type of shoe, you should have a look at Fiona’s blog too!