FAQ - Frequently asked Questions

Choosing dance shoes.
Information on styles, constructions and components used,
as well as sizing, width fittings, dance floors and more . . . . .
Why you need to try shoes on before buying.
Pricing - You get what you pay for.

This page is under construction

I have been fitting shoes since I was a 9 year old ankle biter wandering around in my grandparent's shoe store in downtown Bondi Beach.
There, I learned the importance of customer service. As far as I am concerned, if you want a successful business, then this is the only way to go.

I also learned how it is one thing for shoes to be comfortable in the shop and
another altogether for the shoes to be still doing the job for which they were purchased, years down the track.

Hence our emphasis on quality, durability, correct fit and choosing the most appropriate style and strap strap arrangement for each customer.
This type of customisation for dance shoes cannot be found in imported shoes, especially the cheaper variety.

I am also proud of my ability to provide a lifetime warranty against manufacturing faults on all Prodance dance shoes. (Some conditions of course do apply).

What to look for in a Dance Shoe

What's wrong with using fashion shoes for dancing?
As they say, there is no such thing as a free lunch and you tend to get what you pay for.
Most dancers do not bother with proper dance shoes. They use fashion shoes then wonder why they get sore feet, legs and backs.

Most younger style fashion shoes:
Rarely come in proper half sizes in length.
Almost never come in multiple width fittings.
Tend to have toe shapes that are too pointy, squeezing the toes.
Have uppers that are either too narrow or have stretched too much.
May have straps on the front that are too thin and/or stretch out of shape too easily.
Have open strappy backs that provide little stability.
Have heels that are too high and thin making them unstable
Fashion heels will also break more often and cause foot and leg pain if they are 3 inches/75mm high or higher.

Any instability or discomfort from footwear will definitely take away something from the dance experience.
Most fashion shoes are only good for one thing and one thing only - sitting.

Why should I wear proper dance shoes?
The whole idea of dance shoes is that they should enhance the dance experience by becoming one with your body. While you are dancing you should be thinking about your dance moves, rather than on your shoes or
your feet. This is one factor that can automatically make you a better dancer.

Think about it logically. If your feet hurt, your toes are cramped or perhaps the front of your shoes are too loose, the staps may dig into your feet or maybe the back is to floppy and has no support. Or maybe your heels are
to high and when you dance, after a while your feet hurt and your achilles tendon or your calves start to ache
and your feet swell with fluid. What do you do, you have to sit the next one out.

All these symptoms of incorrect footwear can adversely affect the dance experience, some even to the extent that dancers stop dancing altogether.

How do I tell quality dance shoes from inferior ones?
Good question, but difficult to answer in a few words.
Basically you tend to get what you pay for. With all footwear, not just dance shoes, you probably know very well how easy it is to be deceived on quality. Modern materials and manufacturing techniques make it very difficult
for the consumer to know the actual quality of shoes until they have been worn a few times.

In my personal experience this usually means that cheap shoes can soon become very expensive if they do not do the job for which they are intended and start to look tatty very quickly, as cheap shoes often tend to do.

Shoe Uppers (essentially the outside of the shoe on the top and the sides)
Leather uppers in practice may differ in many ways and usually the result is reduced quality and durability.
I have seen leather that has been cut from rolls rather than animal hides.
I have seen leather uppers so thin, that the only thing giving the uppers any substance at all is the linings underneath.
Some leather uppers then stretch a lot, some stretch very little.
Some uppers look like leather but are plastic, while some plastic uppers may look like leather.
The result is that it is difficult, even for experts to work out, just by looking and handling a shoe as to what the wearability in the real world will be like.

Shoes by law have to be labeled as to where they have been made, as well as stating what the soles, linings
and uppers are made from. Some dance shoes I have seen have no labels at all, others have labels that are
only superficially honest while many others have labels designed to deceive.

Prodance shoes are all made with proper upper leathers and our black leathers (which make up a large
proportion of our sales) are made from full grain Kangaroo leather - the best quality leather you can buy for
dance shoes. This leather is provided at no extra cost to our customers.

Shoe linings (inside the shoe)
There many different types of leathers. Some are good for uppers, others for upper linings and many, as I have mentioned above, are really not very good for anything at all.

Prodance uses leather linings as well as special polymeric synthetic linings, (they look a bit like synthetic suede), for the sock lining (what your foot stands on) and the inside of the back. This type of lining helps reduce slipping inside the shoe, has the highest resistance to perspiration of any of the linings and has good adhesion properties. In my experience there are very few materials that make good sock linings. All leathers and almost
all synthetics tend to be badly affected by human perspiration. Some of the leather sock linings also will smell
a lot after even a short space of time.

Straps for ladies shoes
Straps for dance shoes need to be made to very strict specifications, otherwise they will stretch too much and break. Also if they are too narrow they will cut into the foot, especially if they are too tight.

All Prodance straps are made as a three way fully stitched laminate with leather on the top to match the upper,
a synthetic centre to reduce stretching and prevent breakage and then usually a leather lining underneath.
We also use wider 8mm to 10mm straps for added strength and comfort.

Prodance also has a selection of 4 different types of ankle/instep straps for ladies' shoes to choose from.

Ladies' heels
In many brands of both fashion and dance shoes, heels that go slanty over time, break or fall off are quite common - regardless of how much the shoes cost. The key thing here is how the base of the heels are attached to the shoe. Most of the heels are stapled on rather than nailed. Many types of heels cannot be attached to the base of the shoe in a way that will make the connecting join strong enough for dancing.

Prodance solves the heel problem by only choosing specific heels that can be effectively nailed with extra long nails. Our factory even has a special machine , called a "Sequential Nailer" to do this job. All this maximises
the strength of the join between the heel and the shoe allowing Prodance to provide a lifetime warranty on all heels. Why not ask if other manufacturers will provide a similar warranty?

Ladies' heel height
As mentioned earlier, 75mm/3inches and over and most ladies are doomed to experience some sort of physiological problem. Let's face it, if God had designed women to dance on their toes he would have changed the skeletal design accordingly.

In practice most of my younger customers seem to be happy with 63mm/2.5inches and lower.
The main reason I have found why some ladies like to go up to 75mm/3inches is the big V - VANITY.
The rule that I use all the time, is if there is any doubt at all about going up in height - don't.
You do not score any extra Brownie point for going higher if it going to cause aches and pains and make you a worse dancer.

Prodance has up to 11 different heels to choose from ranging from 45mm to 75mm. Choose the one to suit you!

Sole Materials
Generations ago, when partner dancing was in its infancy, dancers realised that smooth leather soles on their shoes were too slippery. So what they did was replace the smooth leather with suede leather in order to make shoes less slippery, effectively slowing them down and giving the dancers more control over their dancing.
Suede was also soft, it made the shoes more flexible, and allowed the dancers to point their toes easily if they wished.

The problem was that anything that was on the floor would stick to the suede soles like glue. This is why you
see many ballroom dancers using a stiff wire brush (similar to those used for stripping paint off metal) to get
this stuff off the suede soles. This is all very well, but every time you use one of these brushes a layer of
suede is stripped off as well.

Fast track to more recent times and we find budding young dancers walking into their favorite club, stepping
out onto the dance floor only to find spilled drink from the floor being absorbed by the suede sole like a
sponge. End of shoes. This in fact happened to one of my customers, the first time she wore her new shoes.
It can happen that easily.

Not that long ago a young man came into my showroom for a new pair of shoes. He showed me a pair of his
old suede soled ballroom shoes that he could no longer wear as for some reason they would stick to the floor.
I inspected his shoes and discovered what appeared to be a thick rubberized layer of gunk over most of the
suede soles. He needed new shoes as his old ones were no longer suitable for dancing as they gripped the dance floor like glue.

Now don't get me wrong, when used on clean unwaxed wooden dance floors suede makes a great, probably the best sole material. And suede is still the best sole material for competition ballroom. But most social dancers these days would do little if any dancing on this type of dance floor, or dance on different types of dance floors.

Enter our "Street Resin" dance sole material. This sole material was created in the 1960's and used as a sole material for women's fashion shoes to replace leather. It did not create marks on floors (as its predecessor,
black "Wearite" did), and was hard wearing and flexible.

Ten years ago we were selling almost 100% suede soles for Prodance dance shoes, now it has reversed and
we are selling almost 90% "Street Resin" on Prodance shoes purchased by social dancers.
This sole is still flexible, it can be worn outside and it does not pick up the crap from all the dance floors.
More and more dance instructors are choosing this sole over suede and coming back for more.

Even though it is a hard material, the dance experience becomes closer to the suede the longer it is used.
That's what the dancers tell me anyway. It must be true because they keep on coming back for more, usually after about 18months to 4 years for a moderate to heavy dancer.

Sizes really confuse me, what do they all mean?
Firstly size really does matter. Dancers need shoes that they can dance in for hours at a time without feeling discomfort, so obtaining shoes in the correct style, length and width/girth are of paramount importance.

From the 1300's to the 1700's the barleycorn standard of measurement became the foundation of the measurement system that existed in Great Britain and America. When the first shoe manufacturer opened a factory in Massachusetts in 1888, a press release announced that Size 13 or 39 barleycorns would be the
largest shoe size they would produce.

Prior to World War II US and UK sizes were much less variable than they are now. Since the USA began to import huge amounts of sports footwear from S.E. Asia, there seems to be a lot less control over sizing standards. It is now very common for both UK, US and EUR sizes to vary in length not only among manufacturers, but even among various footwear styles made in a single factory.

Examples of these labeling discrepancies on UK/US/EUR size equivalents, can be found on the labels inside nearly all brands of imported footwear, particularly sports shoes. Compare the size equivalents on the label of different pairs of your shoes and you will see what I mean.

In theory one UK or US size = 8.33mm in length and one EUR size = 7.5mm. in length.
Also in theory a UK size is 1.5 sizes longer than a US size. In practice this is often stretched to 2 sizes.
But in the real world I am afraid virtually anything goes, particularly with shoes from S.E.Asia.
In practice most ladies fashion shoes are labeled in either US or EUR sizes and men's shoes are in UK or EUR sizes.

Real half sizes in length are a rare commodity. For most footwear on the market, the half size is usually just a
bit wider, but no longer. It is absolutely imperative that half sizes in length are available so that you can be
sure of obtaining a correct fit.

You will be pleased to know that Prodance shoes are sized strictly according to set standards and have proper half sizes in length and girth. Prodance ladies' shoes are sized from a tiny US4 to US11 and can be made in up to 5 girth fittings. Men's shoes are from UK5 to UK12 and can be made in up to 3 girth fittings.
There are few factories in the world left that can make up individual pairs of shoes this way without charging an arm and a leg.

By the way changing the style may change the size and width/girth fitting you require. Fitting is a fiddly
business to get right and is the main reason why buying shoes online without a proper fitting is a risky business.
Many dancers have found that buying cheap shoes this way often only ends up in expensive disappointment.

Why are dance floors so different?
In the real world there is no such thing as a standard dance floor. In the real world there are few dedicated dance floors. Dance Venues and Dance Schools are mostly in clubs, pubs, school halls, town halls, restaurants or
even shopping arcades and outside tourist areas like Darling Harbour in Sydney.

Dance floor surfaces can be very fast and slippery or slow and even highly abrasive. Most would be rarely cleaned. Dedicated unwaxed wooden floors tend to be fast and less harmful for suede soles.

Everything else - use your imagination.
Waxed and polished dance floors will differ in speed and the type of gunk that attaches to the suede soles, depending on what has been used as a finish for the floor.
Floors in clubs, pubs and restaurants may be tacky with dropped food and spilt drinks.
Outside dance areas are the arch enemies of all dance shoes. Pavers, concrete and asphalt are all highly abrasive and will destroy all dance shoes, sometimes just within a few short hours of twisting, turning and spinning.

Will water damage my dance shoes?
You bet it will! Never ever allow your dance shoes to get wet. Like the Wicked Witch of the West they will die
a fast and ignominious death, good only for one thing, to be tossed into the garbage.
Water is the arch enemy of just about all shoes, absorbed easily into leather and joins, shoes will never be the same again.

Even with resin soles, if it is wet or raining outside, take off your shoes and go barefoot. It is much easier to dry off feet than to repair wet shoes.

Should I purchase shoes off the web?
If I could sell shoes online so that customers could get their correct fit each time, I would now be a millionaire.
But I'm not. Why?
Because all shoes fit differently and there would be an extremely high chance you would buy the wrong fitting.
Anyone, I repeat anyone who claims their shoes are a standard fit and and their shoes, available in full sizes
only and one width fitting, will be the answer to all your prayers - well, you be the judge.
You would have then paid out real money for shoes you cannot wear.
Shoes MUST be fitted on both feet before purchase - you cannot do this online as the risk is too great.

Prodance shoes are as strong as you can get without turning them into work boots.
You can now do all the twists and turns and lifts without the worry that the shoes will fall apart.

These are just some of the comments from satisfied Prodance customers:

"I have been meaning to email you for 2 weeks! I love my new shoes, and yes, I have managed to overcome
my opened-toe fear (just a little). I can't believe I ever managed to dance in some of my old shoes!
And it was a delight to meet you. You know so much about shoes and feet! Thanks for all your terrific advice."

"Just a quick email to let you know that the shoes that I picked up on Saturday and danced in that night for
over 4hrs were absolutely fantastic, not a blister or anything - most impressed but I suppose I am not telling
you anything that you don't already know!"

"I just wanted to let you know how terrific and extremely informative I think your website is. Keep up the good work. Also just to say that I love my dance shoes very much and when I am dancing I don't even feel like I am wearing shoes at all."

"Prodance men's shoes a really top notch. I am still wearing my pair that I bought five years ago!!!
Really comfy."

"Thanks for honoring the warranty after such a long time, I got my new shoes today and they seem great!
Thanks again.

This is where our new shop is:

The Footwear Centre
Shop 1 / 170 Burwood Road
Burwood, NSW, 2134

Our new shop is right in the centre
of the main Burwood shopping centre.

Open normal trading hours
7 days a week.

Looking forward to meeting you
and your friends for a fitting.

Enjoy your dancing.

PLEASE CONTACT US
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES

Phone Shirley, Anh or David
on 02 8065 9324

E-mail: info@footwearcentre.com.au
(Please cut and paste - reduces spam)

Prodance Style Index

Please select your style of interest
for a link to a page with more
photo's of that style.

Men's Styles



Character Brogue

Ladies Styles
San Remo




New York



Latin

Natoli



Paris
[No T-Bar]



Paris
[With T-Bar]