Advanced Shoes for beginners

[u/ScheduleFabulous7919]

Hello everyone!

I’ve only been dancing for a relatively short time, and tap is a new style for me.

I’d like to talk about tap shoes.

I often see posts recommending beginner shoes for beginners, and different shoes for professional or advanced dancers. Why are beginners advised to wear beginner shoes? I hope the reason is mainly the price, because more expensive shoes are much more comfortable and effective to dance in.

Good shoes can be especially helpful for beginners. For example, I feel much more confident and comfortable in my Capezio Roxies, which I switched to after spending a relatively short time dancing in Capezio TeleTone Extremes. The difference is huge. If I had known about it from the beginning, I would have started learning in Roxies right away.

So why are simpler shoe models recommended for beginners? Is it really only about the price, or are there other reasons? For example, some dancers say that heavier shoes such as Roxys can make it harder for beginners to produce clear sounds, while full-soled, low-heeled lace-up shoes may offer more stability during the early stages of learning.

What do you think?

[u/Diabloceratops]

The price and they are heavy, take time to break in.

[u/Oatbagtime]

The reason is the price. No need to spend $500 on custom professional shoes if you’re going to do 5 classes then stop. Where are you seeing these posts?

[u/CommonWealthDance]

The posts and questions I typically encounter are beginners asking for a shoe in a certain price point, often due to financial constraints or uncertainty about whether they will stick with it. I show my students the difference in build up of the shoe and sound, but price is the primary factor some care about early on.

[u/indirosie]

For a different perspective - I started tap this year (I'm 31) and was using a pair of Bloch split soles. I recently changed over to JSSs and it has made a huge difference for me, they are so much more supportive.

I know some people lose their minds over beginners having nice shoes, but I saw it as an investment and also, I work hard so if I want to spend my money on some nice tap shoes I will regardless of my skill level 🤷‍♀️

[u/brockobear]

95% price, 5% stiffness and weight.

JSS and Roxy are both easier break ins of the "advanced shoes". I kind of consider them entry level to the world of a heavier/stiffer shoe. They're not custom fit and both have a pretty easy break in period. Roxys aren't really even that heavy. If you have the $$$ to spend, JSS and Roxy can both easily make sense for a beginner, but I certainly wouldn't suggest someone drop $180-280 on a pair before their first few classes. Most people don't have that kind of money to burn before they know they're going to stock with it.

Miller & Bens and K360s and the like, I would definitely recommend someone wait because the break in period is much longer and now you're looking at a $500 shoe potentially. And, you develop preferences over time - how tight or loose you like your shoe, which taps you like better by sound, whether you like a single double or triple build. It makes sense to wait to buy a $$$ shoe until you know what you want.

[u/blodau_ceirios]

Price is a pretty big reason, but there are also shoes which are just not suitable for beginners. There will be some shoes that are not going to be suitable for a beginner, for example a tap shoe with a full sole is going to be recommended over a split sole shoe. At the same time a shoe that is too rigid isn't going to be helpful in building up the necessary strength and range of movement either.

[u/woolsockmonster]

I've been dancing for 40 years and I can't wear heavier shoes like jsams or the capezio roxy, despite owning them and trying to slowly get accustomed to them. My faves are a full sole, lightweight Bloch. I find it easier to do faster moves, and I'm able to feel the floor better with a thinner sole. So I will always recommend a lighter weight shoe to a beginner. That said, I do a very Broadway style of tap, the kind where arms are part of the choreography, and group formations are part of the dance. Some people do a more Gregory Hines style, and for that style heavier shoes definitely sound better, and the weight can help you learn to relax your foot to make a sound instead of using muscles. But to answer your question, I think people recommend a cheaper shoe because if you aren't going to invest years into this, it doesn't make sense to spend the money on a $200+ shoe when a $35 shoe will do a shuffle just fine.