Important Features to Pay Attention to When Buying Tap Dance Shoes

Every tap dancer starts his performance by putting his perfect pair of tap shoes on his feet. But before that, he needs to buy these perfect pair. Shopping for new tap shoes can be challenging as you will need to choose ones that will best suit your personal needs. Depending on your experience in tap dancing you may need a Mary Jane style which is preferred for younger dancers or if you are an experienced one you need to look for oxford dap shoes or even tap shoes with heels for more challenging performance. What is most important when looking to buy tap dance shoes is to choose ones with the right fit, style and sound.

First, you need to decide whether you will drive around the local dance supply shops or you want to buy tap dance shoes online. The first gives you an opportunity to try the shoes, but it takes more of your time and you will find just a limited range of tap shoes. On the other hand, online shopping gives you a chance to enjoy a virtual tour around different dance supply stores, dive into the widest range of tap shoes available, compare prices and finally make the best deal. Depending on the style, the price of tap shoes varies from $40 to $100. However, spending too much money on a pair of tap shoes is not the smartest thing to do, especially if this is your first pair. Once you find the specific details that are most important to you, then you can consider more expensive ones that will suit your personal style of dance. 

Fitting

Perfect fit and overall comfort are extremely important when buying any type of footwear including tap dance shoes. If the shoes do not fit you well, the tap sound they will produce will not be precise and clear. What you should keep in mind is that the size of the tap dance shoes can be a bit different from than the size of regular shoes. The shoes should be close-fitting as possible without causing you discomfort or pain. If you are in doubt between two sizes then you should opt for the smaller one because the frequent use will make them stretch and allow enough room for your feet. 

Style

Tap shoes come in a range of styles, colours and shapes. The most common materials used for tap shoes are leather, plastic and canvas. When choosing material and shape, keep in mind your dance experience in mind. For young dancers, Mary Jane style is a perfect choice because they offer the best support and security for a younger dancer to be able to balance and learn the rope of tap dancing more easily. On the other hand, if you are more experienced tap dancer, you can opt for flat oxford tap shoes made of leather or ones with heels. The second type is a bit difficult to balance on so split-sole and pointe shoes are also great to consider. The split-sole style allows for double tapping while pointe shoes allow female dancers to focus more on their performance.

Tap sound

When choosing tap shoes, how they sound is another important thing to consider. One type of tap shoes differs from others by the number of screws attached. These screws are adjustable so one pair of tap shoes with the same number of screws can produce a few different sounds. For this reason, tap dancers oftentimes tighten or loosen the screws on their shoes so they can adjust the sound. Three is the most common number of screws you can find on the tap shoes, but after a certain period of time, each dancer develops his personal preference for tap shoes determined by specific tap sounds. So when buying tap shoes consider the configuration of screws so you can choose the pair that will meet your personal needs.