Everyone wants to take good care of their ballroom dance shoes. When you buy yours from https://ballroomshoes.com/collections/yellow-shoes, you know you have made a good investment, and you want to get the best value for your cash.
If you don’t take good care of your dancing shoes you not only fail to get the value that you anticipated, but you also tend to have a poor dancing experience. In some cases, you put your safety at risk as poorly maintained shoes don’t give the best protection.
To make your work easy, we've compiled a list of do's and don'ts for taking care of your ballroom dancing shoes:
Do store the dancing shoes properly
The first step in taking care of your shoes is to store them properly. Fortunately, ballroom dance shoes are not difficult to maintain.
The most important thing is to let your shoes air out after wearing them. Throwing them in a sports bag with airflow is good, but putting them in a sealed plastic bag, such as a Ziploc, can cause significant problems.
It's a fact that ballroom dance shoes get sweaty, and if you don't let them air out, the prolonged contact with moisture will degrade the leather and provide a breeding ground for bacteria. You don’t want this, do you?
For the best outcome, once you are done with dancing, put your shoes in a cool and dry place where they can dry out and get fresh air.
Do clean the shoes regularly
Dirty shoes are not only ugly to look at, but they also are a breeding ground for bacteria, which means that your shoes always have an awful smell. Dirty shoes also tend to wear out fast.
To avoid this, you should clean them as regularly as possible. To clean the shoes, use a shoe brush on suede-bottom shoes to keep them clean and maintain their texture.
You also should use polish or silicon oil to keep the ballroom shoes from breaking and sticking.
Use melamine foam to remove grime from your leather shoes. You should avoid putting your ballroom dance shoes in the dryer after washing since they may shrink.
You also shouldn’t wear your dance shoes outside the studio. They will not only become soiled when you wear them outside, but also their soles may be damaged.
This is because most dance shoes do not provide adequate support when worn as a street shoe. In addition to this, your dance instructor certainly does not want dirt from the outside tracked into the studio.
To maintain the integrity of the shoes, keep them from getting dirty, and be on good terms with your instructor, wear the shoes only in the studio.
Do regularly inspect the shoes
This includes inspecting your ballroom dance shoes' straps, tips, heels, and buckles to ensure they are strong and in good condition. If the strap on your shoe becomes loose or stretched to breaking, take it to a professional for fixing.
One common issue you might encounter is when the bottom pad of the shoe begins to peel. This usually occurs on shoes that have been used for a long time because you have to wear them through the stitching that holds them together.
You can fix this problem by bonding the pad back down with a flexible adhesive. Remember that you'll need to clamp the pad to the shoe's sole again and allow it to set, preferably overnight. If you feel this is too much work, let a repair expert examine the problem.
Don’t dance on ultra-hard surfaces.
As much as sound quality ballroom dance shoes can handle hard surfaces, avoid dancing on ultra-hard surfaces such as concrete.
You should note that concrete scuffs on your shoes, like sandpaper, can cause significant leg stress injuries.
You should also avoid dancing in the rain, especially if you wear softer shoes since too much moisture will damage them.
Do double-check the shoes before you start dancing
At the very least, ensure your laces are clean and in good shape. Dirty laces might make you look out of place, and snapped laces are risky. You also don’t want your shoes to fly off during a competition, do you?
You should also polish your shoes, as they will get scuffed during class and in the bag.
If you have the time, scrape or peel off the layers of tape that you've applied to your shoes. A layer or two of tape is good for helping you keep your footing, but having many layers of tape builds up and muffles the sound of the shoe. The layers also make your shoe look sloppy over time.
If the stage is slick, apply a single layer of gaffer's or duct tape to the sole of the shoe's tip and heel to help with traction—don’t apply many layers.
Another thing you should do occasionally is mark the eyelets and sidewalls of your hard shoes with a black marker. The paint may fade with time, and you want it to be a nice, solid black. You can also use edge dressing, but a permanent black marker will suffice.
Do wear the dance shoes with care
When putting on or taking off your footwear, be gentle.
At all times wear appropriate attire with your shoes. For example, you should wear tights and, if applicable, toe cushions as instructed by your teacher. You should also wear socks, which will help reduce bacterial growth.
You should never dance with damaged shoes, as it can have catastrophic effects. For example, dancing on broken ballroom dance shoes can result in hairline fractures on the foot.
Parting shot
You should pay attention to these ballroom dance shoes' dos and don’ts. For the best outcome with your shoes, take good care of them. If you have only one pair, it's wise that you get an additional pair.
When getting the new pair, buy it from a reputable store. You also should ensure that the shoe is high quality and will last for a long time.
