How long do ballroom shoes last?

Question

I just bought a pair of Capezio Sofia Ballroom Shoes and was wondering about how long they normaly last.

Answer 1

My shoes don't last long at all. I'm just hard on my shoes, I guess. I really, really work through the floor on my Latin and Argentine Tango, so the inside edges of the bottoms of my ballroom shoes and Tango shoes become worn out quickly.

Here are a few ways I get my shoes to last longer:

1. I try to keep two 'active' pairs of shoes, and alternate between the two. This gives each pair more time to 'dry out' between usage.

2. Do NOT NOT NOT scrub the bottoms of your shoes with that stupid wire brush. People just don't understand that the only real reason those brushes are sold are for scrubbing wax off the bottoms of your shoes, meaning, if you dance on wooden floors, a certain amount of that wax transfers to the bottoms of your shoes, building up to the point where you can slip. So, only after wax has built up, scrub it off with that brush. I swear people just think they look cool and professional, because they make this huge production about scrubbing the daylights out of their shoes before each class, and after each class. I don't use the brushes at all, actually. I go outside and 'do the twist' on the concrete. It seems to put less wear on the shoes, and evenly scrubs them, instead of having wires dig tracks into the bottoms.

3. Spend the money. Buy expensive shoes. Bu the $130 Freeds, or the $150 Internationals. They are a higher quality shoe, and they last longer. Do NOT buy 'Very Fine' dance shoes. It's tempting at $50 a pop, but trust me, those things wear out very quickly. Incidentally, if you DO decide to try out Very Fine, do not buy from Apple Dance Shoes. They delete negative customer feedback. I tried, three times, to leave negative feedback for a pair I bought, only to see it deleted three times. The positive feedback I left for one pair remains.

4. If you buy white or nude coloured satin shoes, they become dirty, no? That is when I get out my black shoe polish and dye them. :) Or, I dye them the same colour as one of my favorite dance dresses. They look pretty cool after that! (If you REALLY want to pimp up those pumps, you can glue a few rhinestones here and there.)

5. Heels worn down? Have them replaced with rubber heels. It will cost you less than $10 and the shoes will last a lot longer after you do that.

I hope that helps!

Answer 2

Well i replace mine like every 2-3 months but i dance 4 times a week. it really depends on how much danceing you do. i have a pair of Capezio dance shoes and they lasted about 2 months. the leather soles wore off and what not. i just bought a pair of shoes a month ago the next day after a tango workshop the elastic is ripping and i have scuff marks on the side and they were 150 dollor dance shoes. but yea it does depend on how much you dance and what brand Capezio is good but try this website http://www.appledanceshoes.com there shoes last a long time and half the price of Capeizo or any other shoes you would buy in the store. but i would change dance shoes often thats what my dance teacher tells me. good luck danceing

Answer 3

My wife bought a pair of nice leather-soled ballroom dance shoes (I don't know what brand), and on the advice of the salesperson she had a cobbler glue an additional thin layer of soft leather (calfskin?) on the soles for proper traction. The soft leather layer gets slick from dancing after a while, so she also has a small wire brush to brush her soles occasionally (once or twice a night) and rough it up so that she has the right degree of traction and glide. Apparently it's a common thing, because I see other women around the dance floor brushing their soles with little wire brushes before dancing.

I think that was a year ago or so, and that little layer of soft leather seems to wearing through with all the brushing and dancing, so she'll need another layer glued on soon.

It seems like overkill, because I dance on regular leather soles. But women do more turning than men, so maybe it helps them.

And obviously you don't want to wear your dance shoes off the dance floor. Pavement and sidewalks will chew through the leather soles pretty quickly. Wear day shoes to and from the ballroom and carry the dance shoes in a bag. But I'm sure you know that already.

If the upper portions of the shoe are leather, they can probably dry out and get cracked from sweat and age after a couple years like any other shoe. You could rub in a little leather oil early along to keep the leather fresh and prolong their life. Polishing them with shoe polish occasionally will do the same thing.

Answer 4

NO ONE can answer that question because it depends on how much they are used? Usually one does not go ballroom dancing every day and sometimes only once a year so in that case, a set of ballroom shoes should last for 10 years... It all depends on USE.

Answer 5

No one can really say, I'm a dance instructor so I'm on my feet 5 times a week between 10 to 12 hours a day. My shoes have lasted 2 years. It all depends on you, if you look after them they'll last a very long time.

Answer 6

Considering the amount of time they are worn, a very long time. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT to get the soles wet or damp..the chrome suede will swell and soften, flake and fall apart in a short time. Keep them dry. There may come a day when you will need to have them re-soled...just take them to a shoe repair guy...he will know what to do. The tips of the heels usually need repairing. Good luck dancing.

Answer 7

They last a long time. Capezio is a great maker, with quality products. Make sure you leave them out to dry when you're done with them. If the heel breaks you can bring them to a cobbler to fix them.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

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Answer 10

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