10 Criteria for Proper and Comfortable Salsa Dance Shoes

So, you decided to take on Salsa dancing. For that, you will need some proper dance shoes. You will be doing your awesome Salsa dance moves on all kind of floors for many hours at a time. Therefore, it is imperative that you acquire the right shoes for the job.

These are ten criteria which has to do with aesthetics and comfort of your Salsa dance shoes.

1. There is a dance shoe for every dance style

The shoes you wear to Break-dance have different qualities than Salsa dance shoes. Dancing is based on the movements of your feet on which you support and shift your weight. So, it is imperative that you buy the right shoes for the right dance style.

2. Finding comfortable Salsa shoes is of the highest priority, because you will be dancing on them for a very long period

You will want shoes that help you focus on other Salsa dance related things things and not be an obstacle.

3. The height of the heels, the width of the instep and the cushions in the metatarsals of your Salsa shoes have to adapt to your feet

You will have to make your shoes custom fit if you have “difficult” feet.

4. Good quality Salsa or Latin shoes are quite expensive, because they are of a much higher quality than the “regular” ones

Your dance shoes have to take on a much greater effort, weight, jumps, shock absorption, balance, wear and prolonged usage than common shoes.

Watch this clip of a pair of pretty shoes dancing Salsa.

5. Good dance shoes take care of your health and will “mold” themselves around your feet

When you are dancing for years and for a prolonged period on shoes which are not meant for dancing, they can get deformed and cause much pain. A good pair of dance shoes will protect you from these eventual consequences.

6. Choose the sole of your dance shoes while taking in account what kind of dance floors you will be dancing on

There is a great variety in floor types, so not one pair of dance shoes will meet with all of your expectations or with all kinds of floors. You will have to evaluate and choose a pair that goes with your most common Salsa or Latin performance. A good pair of dance shoes will give you confidence on the Salsa floor and they will also give you perfect grip and slide whilst dancing.

7. The elegance and the esthetic properties of your feet are paramount in Salsa and Latin dance

Your shoes are the perfect "package" that – besides of helping you with the floor, your health and with your comfort – have to also look spectacular!

8. A good pair of dance shoes will help you to maintain your equilibrium, which in turn will also help you to maintain a good body posture

9. You have to try them on the moment you go out to buy them

If your dance shoes feel stiff, consider that they will mold around your feet in time. Move around and asses your balance and slide action, do not only look at the aesthetics.

10. The heels of  Salsa /Latin dance shoes are VERY important!

For men, the heels of Salsa or Latin shoes will be more comfortable if they are “tuned” at the base, whereas the most comfortable heels for ladies are “wedge heels” (with a wedge-shaped sole rather than a heel post). Stiletto heels look great, but tear very fast and can affect your balance whilst dancing fast Salsa and making many spins. But, each dancer has to try out different dance shoes until he or she finds the right pair.