Ballroom Dancing

- Ballroom dance shoe dealers?
I'm looking for a store that I can actually try on some ballroom shoes to see the correct fit. I live in Ohio, are there any dealers of International, Supadance, Dance Naturals, Werner Kern brands, etc in the surrounding states?

A Werner kern's website has a facility whereby you can contact them and they will tell you where yur nearest stockist is. http://www.werner-kern.de/ Hope this helps

- Questions about ballroom shoes for women?
1. Is there a difference in terms of design/support between ballroom shoes for International Standard and Latin? 2. How high is the heel usually? Are there any ballroom shoes designed with very high heels? Would they be good or stable enough for ballroom dancing, esp. Latin? 3. How long do the shoes usually last? Compared with regular high heels/pump shoes? 4. Can the shoes be worn for everyday use? Would it also have enough durability and comfort if used for other things than dancing? Will it decrease its longevity? Or is it strictly for dancing? 5. What is considered the best manufacturer of ballroom shoes? Aside from internet, are there any actual stores available where you can actually see and try the shoes yourselves? Are these stores available everywhere or only in certain cities? Thanks in advance.

A Your questions coincide a lot, so I'll do my best to sum it all up: The best make of dance shoes are from Supadance. they have years of experience in making both latin and Ballroom shows. Q 1. Is there a difference in terms of design/support between ballroom shoes for International Standard and Latin? Ballroom shoes look like enclosed pumps with a heel, where latin shoes are generally more open and strappier. Q 2. How high is the heel usually? Are there any ballroom shoes designed with very high heels? Would they be good or stable enough for ballroom dancing, esp. Latin? A: Latin shoes for beginners should start at around 1.5" to get you used to them, but for comps I recommend starting on 3" heels. the reason is the difference in technique it brings, and the level of preciseness you get from the differing heel heights. I prefer a 3" Flare heel (also called a Roman heel). Q3 and Q4: A: Dance shoes, both ballroom and latin, are fitted with pigs leather at the bottom. They should ideally just be worn for practice sessions or comps, and not outside of a dance floor, as they will wear down, and loose what they are intended for in terms of support and non-slipperyness. I used to teach Latin and ballroom, and used latin shoes for both disciplines within the studio, but not in competitions, where I used the correct shoe for the correct dance discipline. using it outside of the dance floor definitely decreases longevity. Q 5. What is considered the best manufacturer of ballroom shoes? Aside from internet, are there any actual stores available where you can actually see and try the shoes yourselves? Are these stores available everywhere or only in certain cities? Where there is a dance store, they should have both Ballroom and Latin shoes. Even though i have loads of those stores in and around my surroundings, I usually only buy my social dancing shoes from then, and import my competitive shoes. remember, when you have your shoes, ply them first to increase flexibility. Never dance a competition with brand new shoes, and get yourself a steel scraper to scrape the bottom of the leather of the shoes for when they go slippery. hope that helped :)