Tia Deby: How do I buy Tango Shoes?

This is for the ladies mostly.  Because I am one.  First of all, I hate those dancer sneakers.  Those are not shoes for tango.  Those are shoes for some other dance.  You cannot dance tango in those shoes.  You need to be able to work the floor in tango and with those shoes you cannot.  Please do not give me your 25,000 excuses about how comfortable they are.  The only thing those shoes are going to do for you is give you more bad habits in your dancing.  You would not play tennis in high heels, so why would you dance tango in sneakers?  Next!

Most people do not understand how important the construction of the shoe is. They look only at the esthetic aspects.  Women want the shoe to be sexy, the heel to be high, and the shoe to be pretty.  I think they forget they have to dance in the shoe.  Men want a shoe that stands out.  That people will look at.  How often do I hear “My feet hurt?”  Why? You need shoes to dance in, not shoes for pictures.

The heel is a very important part of the shoe. Plastic or acrylic stiletto heels might be sexy but they are death for your dance.  For the ladies, they do not help your balance.  The standard covered wood heel is still the best.  It gives you stability.  The same is true for men. Look for shoes that use a wooden not a plastic heel. Plastic heels are hollow and do not give you the same stability that a wooden heel will give you.

Heel height plays a huge role in your balance and axis.  Lower is better.  Yes, darling you read that correctly.  So let’s go back and read it again.  Lower is better.  Why?  OK.  In men, tango dancers, do not wear high heels.  Those are either transvestites or folkloric dancers.  Male tango dancers should wear a low heel.

Ladies, what are you thinking wobbling in on those 9 and 10cm plastic stilts you can barely walk on?  If you can barely walk on them, whatever makes you think you can dance in them.  You are leaning all the way forward hanging on the man with your butt sticking out.  No you do not look like Geraldine.  You look ridiculous.  Do yourself a big favor and put on a pair of shoes that have a 7 or 8cm heel.  Both your feet and the men you are dancing with will thank you.

You need to be dancing in shoes where you can comfortably put your weight on your metatarsal and lean forward.  This is for both women and men.  The shoes need to support you.  Yes, they should look good.  But if the shoe does not support you, then why are you wearing them?  In my opinion spending all that money on shoes that look good but hurt your feet is not money well spent.

I suppose there are people out there, where it is more important to them to “look like tango dancers”  (whatever that means) than to actually be happily dancing tango.  I personally would rather be dancing, and without pain.

Besos,

 

Deby

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Deby Novitz' blog can be found at 

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Comments

[Adriana Pegorer]

Deby, watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq316mteUTk

next!!

[Chris]

This is almost as interesting as complaints about BA taxi prices! Thanks Deby! ;)