Ladies: Shines/Musicality & Heels?

Brownskin818

Brownskin818

Changui
Does it work for you? Can you "cut up" in heels? I used to be able to manage, but as I get more and more musically inclined, and want to hit that riff of 10 eighth notes, I find that heels won't let my feet move fast enough! They're too slick and the heel is too dainty to put any heel-only weight on them. I'm tempted to look into sporting dance tennies more often, but I'd need to get over (or around) the chore they make spinning to be.

So what do you guys do? Any suggestions? I'm tempted to get a small leather sole piece put on the balls of my dance tennies. I also still have a preference for the alignment that heels give you, so I'm also tempted to get some dance tennis heels (and put a leather sole patch on them). Your thoughts?

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have one long island ice tea...that made my feet move unbelivably fast last week!

seriously tho... i hear ya...i thought i had heel crushes down, tried in heels last night, well that was entertaining....i think weight on heels can only be done in shortish /stocky heels which mine are definitely not....

sorry not much help, just commiserating.....
 
Brownskin818 said:
I find that heels won't let my feet move fast enough! They're too slick and the heel is too dainty to put any heel-only weight on them.
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Personally I don't have a problem putting weight on heels, but that's because I always go for chunky heels. Maybe worth a try?
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MacMoto said:
Personally I don't have a problem putting weight on heels, but that's because I always go for chunky heels. Maybe worth a try?
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Ditto! I stand on my heels all the time, so I only buy chunky ones. I'm a huge fan of Tankaas.
tankaa.com.
This is my current pair:
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Only suede soles are standard, but I think you can customize with leather for extra $. I do the fast feet a lot and I've never found the heels to get in the way.

I did use to wear jazz shoes from Capezio for a while though. Those have a flexible plastic sole that is quite smooth; definitely slippier than suede. Actually a little too slippy for me; I prefer the suede, but if you like your shoes super-spinny you might do well with those. On the minus side they are not much of a fashion statement; on the plus side they're probably the cheapest dance shoes you'll ever buy.

onlinedancewear.com/catalog/index_5_79.cfm
 
Interesting in that, I've only been going the skinny heel route for 4/5 months... but the first thing I noted/appreciated was how much more controlled and exacting it made me be with my steps. Supposedly a plus. But now that I'm compelled to pull a salsa B-girl on some songs, I need to be able to let go of the control and just get funky. A chunky heel would help, but I'm afraid the grip that works so well for spinning would still hinder a lot of B-girl type expression. I could hit some eighth and maybe even 16th notes in some tennies. But in smooth soled heels? I'd bust my ass in a heartbeat. Jazz shoes could work, but I find them so unattractive. :(

Maybe I should invent the roller skate concept salsa shoe... you know, slick for dancing, but with brakes for... ya know, breaking! :D :lol:
 
...What is this tankaa...their shoes are GORGEOUS. I just wish they came with a slightly lower heel. Does the heel really feel like it's 2.5"? I'm most comfortable in 1.5". I may just pay the extra $25 and get them custom made.
 
esa negrita... said:
...What is this tankaa...their shoes are GORGEOUS. I just wish they came with a slightly lower heel. Does the heel really feel like it's 2.5"? I'm most comfortable in 1.5". I may just pay the extra $25 and get them custom made.
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Dunno as I've never danced in 1.5" :)
Before I discovered Tankaa I was doing most of my dancing in jazz shoes. I do keep my heels off the floor in the jazz and I guess it must be just about 2.5" because the transition to the heels was immediate and problem-free. (Can't do 3" though, they catch the floor.)

Regarding the designs, they're definitely cool and a little different from most of the salsa shoes you see out there. (However in NYC a good 20-30% of the women were wearing them so they didn't get you any originality points.)

Anyway it's not the appearance I fell in love with, but the construction of the shoes. They're incredibly stable, super-comfy and they stay *on* your feet. Good coverage in the front for stability and toe protection, crossing front straps to prevent slippage, a stable chunky heel you can stand on forever - they must have been designed by a salsera. ;)
 
Yeah...if they're that good, I'm seriously considering cancelling an order I have at another store (2 pair for the same price) and going with those.
 
It seems Tankaa's are THE most talked about shoe on this site. Perhaps I should look into them as well! Do they make them with leather soles?

In other news, I think I'm developing a salsa shoe fetish/obsession. :oops: Strange, since I CERTAINLY don't have a regular shoe fetish.
 
I bought a pair of Tankaa shoes at the NYC congress, and the heels must be about 2.5" because I feel no difference from my other shoes, which are all 2.5". My pair's got straight-across straps and I was a bit worried if they are supportive enough, but they seem fine, possibly because of the wider front coverage. They were really cheap too - end-of-line model selling at $75. What a bargain!
 
There is a reason dance shoes have heels-- its all about weight dis placement-- they project the poise over the standing foot ( the ball ) from whence we get our compression .
 
MacMoto said:
I bought a pair of Tankaa shoes at the NYC congress, and the heels must be about 2.5" because I feel no difference from my other shoes, which are all 2.5". My pair's got straight-across straps and I was a bit worried if they are supportive enough, but they seem fine, possibly because of the wider front coverage. They were really cheap too - end-of-line model selling at $75. What a bargain!
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Yeah, they overhauled the designs completely this summer. All the old ones had the single ankle strap. As you say it works out fine, but I really prefer the crossing straps so I'm very happy about the retooled models. The vamp is stable but it does stretch somewhat so the crossed straps are good insurance.
 
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