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Here are some ideas for shoes that will both preserve your tootsies, as well as look great in performance.
BALLET SLIPPERS: Soft and pliable, these shoes come in full-sole or split sole options- there are many
options and styles to choose from. Made with uppers of soft leather or sometimes canvas, ballet slippers
will mold to your foot, and feel as flexible as though you were barefoot, while keeping your feet clean as well
as protecting them from splinters, or other detritus that may be on your performance surface. Some styles
have straps attached; some have elastic straps you can sew on yourself. Ballet slippers have a suede sole,
which allows for clean turn while still providing a bit of traction, but if you are using ballet slippers for
restaurant work, in order to make them a little more durable, you may want to take them to a shoemaker and
have a thin layer of “dance rubber” put on over the suede sole. This will give the shoe’s sole more traction,
and further protect your foot, as well as make the shoe itself last longer. If you get a pair in classic “ballet
pink” or beige, the shoes can be dyed to match a particular costume, and they can also be easily
embellished with appliqués or rhinestones to jazz them up a bit. Ballet slippers can be purchased on line, or
at any dance store. Expect to pay anywhere from about $12.00-$40.00 for a pair of ballet slippers. A couple
of popular trusted brands are Capezio and Bloch.
JAZZ SHOES
These are similar to ballet slippers, but have a full vamp that usually laces up, like an oxford. Jazz shoes don’
t really look too glamorous on stage, but because of their thin soles and very small, flat heel, they offer a lot
of support and are great for teaching. There are now many varieties of jazz shoes, including lightweight,
pliable jazz boots and sneakers, which are great under long skirts or pants. These offer ankle support, as
well. Most standard jazz shoes have prices comparable to ballet slippers.
EGYPTIAN DANCE SLIPPERS
Similar to ballet slippers, these Egyptian imports are usually constructed along the lines of ballet slippers,
but with an elasticized edge that fits around the top of your foot, as opposed to straps that go across your
arch or ankle. They are usually cut low in the vamp and made with a slightly pointier toe than ballet slippers-
this makes for a nice line. These suede -soled soft shoes are usually available in a range of metallics and
colors, and the soles are slightly thicker than ballet slippers. You can find Egyptian dance slippers carried
by vendors at dance festivals, or sometimes on line. A word to the wise: most Egyptian styles are sized in
European sizes, so if you are buying the shoes online, make sure you know what your size conversion is!
Egyptian slippers range between about $15.00-$35.00 a pair.
GHILLIES
Popular in Irish dancing, Ghillies are also a great option for belly dancers. They are soft shoes made of
suede or leather, with a flexible suede sole that resembles a sort of hybrid of ballet slippers and sandals,
due to the lacing that begins on the vamp of the shoes and continues up to tie around the ankles. These
shoes could look great with a variety of costumes, from cabaret to Tribal, to Goth. The lacing, usually made
of cord or rawhide, could be swapped out for ribbons that match or contrast with your costumes. Once
again, you might want to add dance leather to increase the shoe’s durability and lifespan. Ghillies usually
cost about $20.00-$60.00.
- HERMES SANDALS
These Grecian-look sandals are a popular choice among belly dancers. Made of
thin, usually tan or flesh-toned pliable leather with flexible suede sole, Hermes
Sandals look like Grecian Goddess or Gladiator-wear. They are basically a
thong sandal fitted with small leather loops around the sides of the sole, and
long laces that criss-cross along the top of the foot, wrapping around the
ankles - or up the leg- toe-shoe style. They offer protection to the bottom of
your foot, but not a lot of support, and many dancers don’t like the binding
feeling of the ties wrapped around the ankle. They are inexpensive (ranging
from $10.99-$40.00, and look most appropriate for folkloric or Tribal styles.
Again, Capezio makes a good version of this style, as does Dance Shooz.
These study, closed-toe workhorse shoes go well with almost any style of dance. Within the “character
shoe” category are standard tap shoes, tango shoes, and T-strap and Mary Jane “chorus girl”- type styles
that would work well with a range of costumes. Usually available in flesh-toned tan and black, they also can
be custom ordered in a range of colors and metallics. They are equipped with a hard, thick heel (heights
range from about 1.5-3”) and grooved leather sole, which also takes well to a thin application of dance
rubber. The oval-shaped toe-box, while giving a streamlined look, fully protects your feet and is unusually
roomer for dancers with wider feet. Built for optimal support, these shoes can really take a beating. They
work well for all styles of dance, and offer variety- depending on which style you choose, they can work for
anything from straight ahead belly dance, folkloric, classic, even a 1920’s or Victorian Gothic flavor. I even
have a pair of Capezio tango-style character shoes that I bought for stage use, but because they were so
darn comfy- and foxy – that I wound up wearing incessantly in my “civilian” life! Expect to pay anywhere from
about $20.00-$70.00 for character shoes, and they are well worth the price!
BALLROOM SHOES
Hands-down the most glamorous and showy choice for dancers,
ballroom shoes offer complete support to the entire foot, and yet look
amazing. They come in a mind-bending variety of styles and colors,
including loud animal and reptile prints (YAY!) A veritable rainbow
of metallic leathers, shiny fabrics, contrasting colors and sometimes
even rhinestone buckles. Style-wise, ballroom shoes can be open toed,
close-toed, ankle straps, tie-straps, and made with many different heel
heights and widths as well. The uppers are usually strappy, but though
they look flimsy, these shoes are constructed with dancing in mind. The
soles are suede, and let you really feel the floor, but there is usually a
steel shank embedded in the arch of the shoe leading up to the heel,
which offers optimal support. Again, you can have the suede soles
covered with dance rubber, but it’s not necessary. Ballroom shoes are
available “out-of-the-box” but many dancers have theirs custom-made, mixing and matching styles, colors,
and even heels shapes and heights to their own personal choice. Either way, expect to pay a lot for these
babies. What they ARE NOT is cheap, but they are constructed so well, it’s always a great investment. When I
first started dancing, in the early Nineties, at the recommendation of my teacher, I bit the bullet and paid
$98.00 for a pair of gold and silver ballroom shoes to use for belly dancing. At the time, I thought I was nuts-
why did I spend that excessive amount of money on a pair of shoes when I could put it towards buying a
costume? But I wore them incessantly, and it was TWELVE YEARS (and four sets of-re-soling) before I finally
had to retire them, due to wear and tear. A dozen years of wearing them three to seven times a week- you do
the math! Nowadays, the prices on ballroom shoes range anywhere from $50.00- $375.00, depending on what
type you get. Do what I did- bite the bullet, you WILL NOT regret it!
Dance shoes are designed protect your feet, and that’s a really smart investment in your dance career!
IF YOU OPT TO DANCE BAREFOOT:
Make sure you have a clean performance surface. If there are other dancers working the stage before you,
ask someone to sweep up between performances. Carry a package of baby-wipes with you to clean your feet
before slipping back into your street shoes, and bring a pair of flip-flops along to get you to and from the
stage safely. You may want to bring some band-aids along too, Just in case of emergency. And check your
pedicure! Nothing wrecks your gorgeous stage appearance like dirty, calloused feet with a chipped
pedicure… remember; BEST FOOT FORWARD!
Princess Farhana is a shoe freak and compulsive pedicure addict who has performed, taught and written
about oriental dance for seventeen years. For info on her workshops, events and line of instruction &
performance DVD’s, please visit www.princessfarhana.com.
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BEST FOOT FORWARD!
A BELLY DANCER’S GUIDE TO FOOTWEAR
BY PRINCESS FARHANA
Like most belly dancers, I love the look and feel of dancing
barefoot. It’s traditional for our art form, so it gives us a
connection to our foremothers…but since we’re modern
chicks in a modern world, we don’t usually get the chance to
dance on the gleaming polished marble floors of temples, or
the soft earth of our village square. We might be working in a
theater where the stage floor has splinters or the backstage
area isn’t optimally clean, or in a restaurant where shards of
broken glass from wine goblets or even another dancer’s
beads can get into our soles, or even at a street festival on
the pavement… SO WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR FEET!
Nowadays, under the umbrella of belly dance, there’s a
myriad of performance styles- but luckily, there’s also an
abundance of footwear options that will go with any sort of
costume you have.
