I just got new latin dance shoes, but they feel really tight at the toes, is that normal?

Question

this is the first time i am taking latin and so ive never worn latin shoes before. i was wondering if it is normal for the toes to be squished and uncomfortable. it really hurts a lot when i practice. will they stretch at all, or is it just too small? but it fits me perfectly. any advice? thanks

Answer 1

Latin/Ballroom shoes are supposed to be tight, but they are not supposed to hurt. They supposed to fit like a glove. "Hurt" = "bad". Bad for your feet, bad for your dancing.

Shoes stretch. Some materials stretch more then others. Leather stretches more than satin. (This is why BTW leather Latin shoes don't last long - they overstretch and no longer provide proper support.) If you already danced in your shoes, you can't exchange them, which is what would have been the best thing to do. Now the second best thing is to take them to a shoe repair shop and have them stretched for you. They can add up to half the size in width, so you should be OK. Avoid overstretching it - you won't be able to use your shoes then. You can keep trying to brake them in as other people suggested, but that's painful. When buying next pair, consider buying different model or different brand that is wider.

Answer 2

What do you mean by "it fits me perfectly"? Obviously they don't, if they're hurting you!

Dance shoes should fit like a glove, with no space between your toes and the end or sides of the shoe, and no space at the heel. BUT that doesn't mean that anything should be squished. If you have to choose between shoes that are a little too small and shoes that are a tiny bit too big, you should get them too big and use an insole or padding.

If your toes are squashed up, it will affect your balance and you won't be able to dance so well.

If you mean that the shoe isn't long enough, there's not much you can do about that. If you mean your toes feel squashed widthways, then get them stretched by a shoemaker. That will help. However next time, look for a brand that makes shoes for wider feet. If the sole of the shoe is broad enough for your foot, you will dance better than if you use a narrow shoe and stretch it.

Answer 3

With most people one foot is bigger than the other. Most of the time the difference is less than a half size, but some people experience greater variation. One of my friends is a full size off (size 8.5 and 9.5 us) and what she does is buy the size 9.5 and than either wears an extra sock on the smaller foot or uses cotten to stuff the toe. She also has told me that she is partial to lace up shoes as she can pull them tighter, or strappy shoes that have buckles that can be tightened. I know that for a wedding she was in she actually bought two pairs of shoes and wore one of each size so it looked better - but they were really pretty sandels but they could not be adjusted for fit. Edit: I asked my friend, and she says she buys the short socks made to be worn under running shoes with shorts (they don't show at all) and puts one or two of those on first to enlarge the smaller foot, and then puts a matching pair of normal socks over them and then the shoes and no one ever notices because the enlargement is all inside the shoe and the shoes feel quite comfortable!

Answer 4

How To Stretch Dance Shoes

Answer 5

Hurtful dance shoes cannot be described as perfectly fitting. They're not supposed to hurt. Yeah, take'em to a shoe repair, have'em stretched. You can try to wear them on wet feet around the house but keep in mind satin shoes shrink if you wet them too much, so the effect will be the opposite of the desired.

Answer 6

I don't know if this will work with your shoes or not, but when I have leather shoes that don't quite conform to my feet the way I want them to, I thoroughly wet my foot and the inside of the shoe, then wear them around the house until the leather has shaped itself to my foot a little bit better. You just can't wet the shoe too much, just enough so that it can stretch.

But as I said, never tried it on shoes like yours.

Answer 7

Yeah. Your shoes will be tight at the toes. It's only natural... Some brands will spread out, some won't. HOPE YOU GOT THE RIGHT BRAND!

Answer 8

Yes, they will especially if they are leather the have to take time to break. Just give them a while they will break. Trust me I know I just got the most gorgeous boots and they are killing me right now.

Answer 9

Yeah...you gotta break em in and get used to em.