One of the top questions JazzMAD gets asked is what shoes should I wear to swing dance class? Here Sharon Davis tells you what shoes work and her favourite brands…
There’s no real rules for swing dance shoes. You just want a well-fitting shoe that clings to your foot without rubbing. They should be flat or with a low heel, no higher than around 2 inches. Leather shoes breathe better and will last longer than synthetics, but cost more.
Traditionally, Lindy Hop was danced in street shoes – whatever you would wear to go out at night in the 1930s or 40s. Often this meant canvas tennis shoes (what we in the UK call plimsolls), or leather lace-up shoes like oxfords or brogues. Sometimes ladies would dance with a small heel or wedge. For dancing in heels you usually want a shoe that is closed or with straps, so it doesn’t come off your foot while dancing. Mary Jane or T-Bar styles were common. For balance, the heel shouldn’t be too skinny, so avoid stilettos or tango shoes.
The sole is the most important thing, but is really about personal preference. Rubber soles will be more sticky, which is good for dancing fast (you can grip the floor). Leather soles will be very slippery, so this is better for spinning and sliding. For smooth style dancing you want to be able to slide. Suede soles are somewhere in between. Some dance shoes have a leather sole, but a rubber heel, so you can slide on your toes but stop by putting down your heel. But if you want to do heel slides, you’ll need a wood or leather heel.
Shoes that are made for swing dancers typically have a leather or suede sole. Or you can buy street shoes and have a cobbler glue a suede sole onto it (sometimes called “chroming”). Or you just might prefer dancing with rubber soles.
The dance floor at JazzMAD’s studio is fairly slippery, so rubber soled shoes are usually fine for our class. If you wear your leather soled shoes in class, you will slide, but if that’s a skill or style you are working on then practicing it in every class is recommended.
If you’re interested in buying swing dance shoes, here are the most popular brands in Europe:
Remix Vintage, £185-£230
www.remixvintageshoes.com
Leather shoes that are recreations of styles from the 1920s-1950s. They aren’t officially dance shoes, but they all have leather soles and are beautifully made, so they are good for dancing in. These are stocked in the UK at Revival Retro Boutique (www.revival-retro.com), which is owned and run by a swing dancer. Beware, you will want to buy everything at Revival Retro!
Slide & Swing, €125-€135
www.slideandswing.es
These are shoes made specifically for swing dancing, and I like them a lot. Mens and womens styles. Nice designs, bright colours, comfortable and good quality. Order them online from Spain.
Swingz Lindy Shoes, €120-€140
www.swingzlindyshoes.com
These are ladies’ swing dance shoes produced by a company that traditionally made Flamenco dance shoes. So the leather is very thick and a bit hard, so they take a bit longer to break in. But once they are molded to your feet, they are very comfortable and also last an extra long time. Really pretty styles, with low heels suitable for Lindy Hop. Order them online from Spain.
Saint Savoy, €165-€220
www.saintsavoy.com
Another brand of shoe made just for swing dancers. Mens and womens. Also perhaps the leather is a bit hard on some of these styles, so will take a while to break them in. Lovely unique styles though. Order them online from Austria.
Keds, £40-£60
www.keds.co.uk
Casual canvas shoes very popular with swing dancers (today and also back in the 1930s and 40s). The company supports swing dance events too, so we like them! Keds are street shoes, not swing dance shoes specifically, so they have a rubber sole that can be too sticky for dancing, but gets more slippery as they wear down. Some dancers have a suede sole glued on to them by a cobbler.
Aris Allens
Casual swing dance shoes that are fairly cheap. This brand does plimsolls (similar to Keds in style) that already have a suede sole. You can buy them in the UK at www.swingdancestore.co.uk
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