I may take latin ballroom dance classes, and I wasn't sure what kind of shoes would be best and where to find?

Answer 1

For your first pair, I highly recommend fitting your shoes at a store.

Dance shoes are supposed to fit snugly like a glove. It is tighter fit than your street shoes. But it shouldn't be too tight to the point of painful. The bottom of your foot needs to be in good contact with the shoe at all places. Empty space unred your foot = poor support and blisters. If you have long toes they might hang over the edge of the shoe by 1/4 inch - that's OK. The height of the heel needs to be confortable for your feet strength that you have right now. Anywhere from 1.5 inch to 3 inch is fine. To see if the heel is not too high - you should be able to raise on your toes and lift the bottoms of your heels off the ground comfortably, without losing balance.

Best kinds are Dance Naturals, Supadance, International. Those are the most Famous and most professional use them. Then there is Ray Roze, Aida, Freed of London. They are pretty good and have some unusual designs. Ray Roze and Aida are newer manufacturers, so they are less well-known, and Freed specializes in ballet shoes not in Ballroom. Other shoes that I think are still decent quality but mostly a copy of the above brands are Stephanie and Dance Amo.

The most important in a latin shoe is a suede sole and a metal shank. Metal shank gives your shoe the proper stability and prevents the heel from getting loose. Also, look for a shoe that has soft enough toebox. For latin, you want to be able to point your toes, you want softer shoe. Here are some pictures of Latin shoes:
http://www.dance-shop.com/acatalog/Dance_Shop_Ladies_Latin_Sandals_18.html
http://www.featherdanceshoes.com/xcart/home.php?cat=7

If you think you might be dancing Standard?Smooth as well I recommend buying a pair of Social shoes (looks like this)
http://www.featherdanceshoes.com/xcart/product.php?productid=993&cat=4&page=1
or Practice shoes (looks like this)
http://www.dance-shop.com/acatalog/Dance_Shop_Practice_and_Teaching_Shoes_25.html
You will be able to dance both styles - Latin and Standard in those shoes.
Those websites I gave you have a lot of info on fitting and sizes - click around. Also, http://www.dancesport.uk.com is good. Be aware that some shoe makers go by British size that is 2 sizes smaller than American size, some go by some other sizing convention. Be sure to check. Good luck with shoe shopping. If you still need more detalis or explanations e-mail me.

Answer 2

Actually, I don't recommend buying shoes until your sure this is something you're going to be committed to. Unless, of course, you don't mind spending the $100-$130 for a pair of shoes you may only wear a few times. When choosing shoes out of your own closet try to find something #1 comfortable, #2 stays secure on your feet & #3 slick enough on the bottom that you can do the "twist" (tennis shoes or rubber soles don't work). Also, it would be common courtesy to ask your instructor if you may wear you street shoes on the dance floor.

If after a few lessons you "fall in love with dance" go out and invest in a good pair of shoes. The other answers are great guides to finding good dance shoes. I find Dance Naturals and Werner Kern work well for my wide feet.

Happy Dancing!

Answer 3

Suede bottom shoes. Make sure you are comfortable in the height of the heel. I recommend a 2 inch heel. I have several dance shoes but PLEASE do yourself a favor. DO NOT wear your expensive dance shoes to a club that doesn't keep up with their dance floor. You could ruin them. Also, take them off when walking outside. If you step in oil, you've just ruined your shoes. Also purchase a shoe brush. This is a small wire brush that is used to clean and lift the suede on the sole of your shoe.

I recommend SupaDance shoes but everyone has their favorites they'll recommend. Just make sure you get a shoe that fits well and will not give you blisters. Dancing with blisters is NOT fun. ;)

Good luck and have fum with it! :)