Dance shoes are imperative to dancing well! Shoes are our only piece of equipment and they’re just as important as skis are to a skier – you could get down the mountain on 2x4’s but you wouldn’t be very good and you’d look like a dork. If you're coming to class for the first time, the best thing to wear would be shoes with a thin, slick sole so you can turn. Heels are great for Salsa and flats or 1.5" heel are the best for West Coast Swing. But for a beginning class, just come in what you've got!

Dance shoes have thin, suede soles so they should be protected from rain, dirty parking lots, spilled wine, etc. If you want to get one pair of shoes for both Salsa and Swing, go with low heel Swing shoes. You can spend $50 - $150 for new shoes but wait till you've gotten hooked before rushing into a shoe commitment.

Tips
1. Order 1/2 - 1 size smaller than normal street shoe size.
2. Have them stretched by a shoe place. There's one in Wagner Mall on 3rd St in Bend.
3. Wear them around your house with socks to speed up the stretching.
4. Use preemptive bandaids under the straps that might rub badly.
5. They should be quite snug at first so there's room to stretch and they'll still be formed nicely to your feet, rather than sloppy.

Very Fine Dance Shoes
Shoes are $55-$60 for standard styles, more for special styles and the studio will have women's West Coast Swing shoes in stock in sizes 6-9 to try on before ordering. Very Fine has a HUGE selection of Swing, Salsa, ballroom so the shoes in stock at Vic's can be used as a sizing guide and anything can be ordered through Victoria. Shipping usually only takes about a week and a half. This is a casual business for Victoria, just for the sake of convenience for students to be able to try on shoes before ordering. There's no return policy or big rule book... just be nice and we'll get along fine. :-) Website

Here's a link to cool new men's shoes by Very Fine. Men's Shoes

Click on the picture below to follow the link.

Aris Allen Shoes
Aris Allen has some cool Black & white dance sneakers that you can order directly from their site.
Retro Sneakers $45


Consignment Shoes
Call or email Victoria if you have used shoes you'd like to consign.