What people may fail to understand is that there are many differences between ballroom shoes and regular heels. Dance footwear for women is, usually, carefully engineered and manufactured. It provides better heel placement so they can improve steadiness and balance. That’s why you will find it easier to dance in dance footwear that is high heeled compared to the fashion heels worn on model runways.

Ballroom designs, typically, all have an outsole made of chrome leather or suede. The outsole is crafted so that the dancer can have the perfect amount of slide and grip. The shoes, also, need to be very secure and strong. This means they will have a snug grip on the foot during the whole dance.

No dancer wants to have a broken design or his or her shoe coming off while dancing, as this will not only be humiliating but also could be very dangerous and/or cause a foot-related injury. That’s why all dance shoes used in the ballroom need to have quality assurance.

General Features of Ballroom Shoes

Laces – Found in men’s styles standard and Latin, laces help secure the footwear with a better fit. Laces are also found in practice footwear, especially sneaker-style practice designs.

Straps – Found in women’s style Latin, straps can vary from single-strap to multiple straps. Some straps hook around the ankle while others may hook around the forefoot.

Outsole – The outsoles are made of suede (competition), plastic (practice), rubber (off the ballroom floor), or leather (generally practice, as leather is rougher than suede). Suede is the primary go-to for competition ballroom events, as it allows for the correct amount of glide and grip, simultaneously.

Upper – For men, the upper is leather, with a glossy or a non-glossy finish. For women, the upper is satin (competition).

Toe Area – Men’s ballroom shoes are closed toe. Women’s standard are closed toe, as well. Women’s Latin competition, however, are open toe in design.

Flexibility – For both men and women, standard/smooth shoes are more sturdy, not allowing the pointing of the toe. For Latin/rhythm, however, both men’s and women’s ballroom designs have flexibility in the arch; thereby, allowing the pointing of the toe.

Heel Height – Heel height is specific to the type of dance (i.e. Standard/Smooth; Latin/Rhythm). Beginners may want to start out with lower heels.

Heel Width – heel width is specific to the type of dance, as well. Different dances require a different width, generally speaking. But at the end of the day, it is all about the feel. You might prefer a narrow width heel flare, whereas someone else may prefer a wider flare.

Color – For men, black is the norm unless specialized in ordering. There is the flat (black matte) and shiny (patent leather) look. For women in competition, nude or bronze-colored shoes are the norm. In social (non-competition), however, the sky is the limit in color variety.

Just like different types of sneakers are used in different types of running styles, it’s important that you understand the type of dancing style you will be performing when in the ballroom. Most of the dance styles that take place in a ballroom fall into two major categories: Latin dances (e.g. Cha-Cha-Cha, Rhumba, Samba, etc.), and the more traditional (Standard) ballroom dances (e.g. Foxtrot, Waltz, etc.).

Dances for Standard/Smooth Ballroom (International Standard):

Foxtrot – This dance originates in the 1910s and is danced to a rhythm of 4/4 timing. Similar to the waltz in appearance, ‘big band’ music, normally, plays with this dance. The dance itself is flowing with long, continuous movements.

Waltz – This dance originates as early as the sixteenth century. Today, there are multiple variations with multiple metronome timings. Even the International and American versions of the waltz are somewhat different during competitions. Generally, the waltz is performed in a 3/4 time signature with a metronome speed between 60 and 70 beats per minute. The 3-step waltz is the general version of competitions; having variants of the moves changed slightly between American and International standards.

Quickstep – This dance originates in the 1920s and is characteristic of other dancing types such as the Peabody, shag, Charleston, foxtrot, and one-step. With 2/4 timing, this dance is highly energetic and contains a ‘fun’ appeal to it.

Viennese Waltz – A variation of the original waltz, the Viennese waltz originates in Vienna and is more upbeat in tempo.

Tango – Between Argentina’s and Uruguay’s border, a dance called the tango was born in the 1880s. There are two basic styles of open and close embrace. This is danced with time signatures of both 2/4 and 4/4.

Dances for Latin/Rhythm Ballroom (International Latin):

Cha-cha-cha – The cha-cha (American naming convention) originated in Cuba in the 1950s. The music is usually Cuban when dancing the cha-cha-cha; however, ballroom dancing sometimes implements Latin pop or Latin rock for music choices.

Samba – This dance has African roots and is considered a Brazilian dance with its modernization. This modernization is founded in the 20th century and the dance is performed with a 2/4 time signature.

Rhumba – This dance originates in the 1930s and utilizes Afro-Cuban and ‘big band’ music types. With a 4/4 time signature, the steps are synchronous to 1, 3, and 4 beats of the measure.

Pasodoble – Mimicking the steps of bullfighting, this dance originated in the 1930s and is characteristic of double-steps with fast-paced metronome timings of 120-130 beats per minute.

Jive – Originating in the 1940s, this ‘happy’ dance clocks in at 176 beats per minute; a very, fast-paced timing. The characteristic of this dance is that it has a lot of knee work.

The previous dances are international competition standards. There are, however, moves or dance sequences which are normally included when doing dance performances that are less formal. They may include the saunter, lindy hip-hop, and some variations of the swing. There are, also, some dance moves that incorporate freestyle routines such as the merengue, bossa nova, and salsa.

At the end of the day, it’s important to know the type of dancing style you will be doing before buying your brand new pair of ballroom shoes. This is because different dance styles need a different type of footwear.

Everyone wants a good fit when shopping for new footwear, regardless of the type they are buying. The fit is one metric that is considered in all types of footwear; whether it is athletic sneakers or just simple leisure designs.

When you have an ill-fitting shoe, then you are susceptible to many foot injuries (simple ones like blisters to more severe ones like foot fractures). When fitting your new dance shoes, you will have to use a different method from the one that is normally used to fit regular footwear.

Generally, ballroom shoes need to have a fit that is snug and which allows free movement of the foot when dancing. The dancer’s toes must be able to reach the very end of the design for closed toes.

For dance footwear with open toes, however, the toes must slightly hang just over the shoe’s edge; allowing you to ‘hold the floor,’ as it were. Strictly in use for Latin-style dancing, a 1/4-inch hangover is recommended in order to ‘use the floor.’

You will notice that the toe guide is very counterintuitive to the common belief many people have when shopping for regular footwear.

Another thing is to make sure the snug fit is not too tight. The design needs to be able to move along with your foot, and you need to be able to execute all the movements without restriction. If there is a piece of the design digging into your skin or, worse, cutting off your blood flow, it is a clear sign that your footwear is too tight.

Ballroom shoes need to offer maximum flexibility. The importance of flexibility is that it enables effective execution and coordination of the dance moves, in addition to offering protection and safety for your feet.

When you wear footwear that is inflexible, then you stand a risk of suffering from ankle or foot injuries; not to mention the fact that you will be making sloppy dancing moves on the stage. Also, it is important to remember that standard ballroom designs will be less flexible than Latin ballroom shoes.

For men, a split-sole design allows for tremendous flexibility for Latin ballroom dancing. Although women’s Latin designs are flexible in nature, there are those available with thinner and shorter shanks in place; thereby, providing even more flexibility. Keep this in mind while you shop.

Having arch support that is strong is important, especially for dancers who tend to wear higher dancing heels. This also means that the footwear needs to have strong arch support.

What is the importance of arch support?

During dancing, most arches are under too much pressure, and that means a dancer needs to get the correct amount of arch support from their footwear. Having the incorrect type of arch will lead to incorrect pronation of your foot. Pronation will not only affect your dancing but will, also, put the dancer at risk of getting serious injuries.

The simple rule is that the higher the heel, the more arch support the dancer needs. Standard ballroom shoes are more supportive than Latin dancewear, simply because of flexibility factors.

For footwear with little arch support, there is an alternative which will allow you to use your dance shoes in practice. Foot undies (or lingerie) are made in a variety of ways and can add to arch stability and/or provide cushioning. They are mainly used in jazz/ballet settings but can be equally helpful in transitioning from practice to competition footwear with little to no arch support.

The heel height will definitely vary depending on whether you are looking for male or female footwear. Also, the varying types of ballroom shoes have different heel heights.

Men don’t have to worry about the height, but women have to give it very serious consideration when shopping for new dance footwear. Literally, every design used in the ballroom has some height. For the men, it starts from 0.5 inches while the ladies' footwear starts from 2 inches, generally speaking.

Most women beginners should wear heels that are 2.5 inches or lower. This is because higher heels require the dancer to have plenty of ankle strength and support. More skilled dancers, on the other hand, can opt for higher heels.

Generally speaking, female dancers never go beyond 3 inches in heel height. It’s important to note if a dancer experiences pain when they are dancing with higher heels, then they should look for dancing footwear that offers them an additional amount of arch support.

The width and style of the heel also matter. The wider the heel, the more stable your environment, as a general rule of thumb. Practice footwear will have a wider heel, whereas, competition designs will be thinner.