Turn patterns involving double and triple spins are the norm for most New York City salsa parties. It is absolutely necessary in today's salsa scene to own a pair of salsa shoes. When my girlfriend and I finally got fed up dancing in our street shoes, we both went out and bought a pair of salsa shoes and suddenly our feet felt light as a feather. Spinning got easier and we wondered why didn't buy shoes earlier. A good pair of salsa shoes will do wonders for your dancing. Even if you do most of your dancing in the studio, any proper salsa class past beginner level will require spinning and footwork that is best executed with specialized salsa shoes.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
A good pair of salsa shoes is lightweight, snug, fitting close to the foot, able to slide, & spin with ease, provides cushioning and arch support. Suede soles are the best for spinning. A good pair of shoes doesn't have to cost a fortune. You can find a good pair for under $100.
WOMEN'S SHOES - Left to Right:
Character Shoes, Capezio's Dancesport Latina, Close-Up of Capezio's Dancesport Latina
CHARACTER SHOES - A low heel and modest look. Closed toe for dance floor safety and modesty. T-strap version available as well. Capezio and others make these. Very popular to start out, wide heel for balance. Suitable for ballroom as well. under $40.
CAPEZIO DANCESPORT SHOES (Latina Style Open Toe) - A favorite for social dancing and the studio among veteran Salsera's. The open toe straps are sexy in black, bronze, satin, and my personal favorite, gold. These shoes come in 3" and 2.5" Latina heels and have a fully flexible forepart for ease of movement. Listed at Capezio for $105.00 but my girlfriend brought hers for $85.00 at onstagedancewear.com
MENS SHOES - Left to Right:
Converse All Stars, Ballroom Shoes, Aris Allen Wingtips, Gabellini Classic
CONVERSES - Converses are the only sneakers I would wear while dancing but it certainly is limiting and heavier. There are still those who say "Salsa is a street dance. I dance in street shoes, period". That may have been true twenty years ago. A guy can get a away with away with not doing multiple spins but this is not true of the women. These shoes have waffle patterned rubber soles that grip the floor which will put a lot of strain on your ankles when spinning. You will feel it later. I speak from experience.
BALLROOM SHOES - A fairly common choice for guys and can be a inexpensive and comfortable option. Don't be fooled by the fancier pairs with the custom leather. After trying on the more expensive shoes, I brought a standard pair for $65 because it was lighter and more comfortable. These shoes are made with 1/2" heels as well as the standard 1" heels and have suede soles. You can pick up a pair at Capezios or almost any dance store.
ARIS ALLEN WINGTIP - Not just for swing, popular for dress-up salsa too. There are many variations on this spectator or wingtip shoe, but Aris Allen at dancestore.com has definitely gotten it right - lightweight, fits as close to the foot as they can get, great internal padding - needs no inserts, gorgeous, top quality, and slick for sliding.
GABELLINI SHOES (MEN & WOMEN) - Absolutely brilliant. There needs to be more salsa shoes like this. Lightweight, look really contemporary and casual, (they remind me of a pair of PUMAs) but have suede soles and are excellent for spinning. Very reasonably priced at 79.99. Head over to GabelliniShoes.com to pick up a pair.
Most of this article is original content written by me although I did have some help from Kurt Lichtmann with some of the reviews
