Tango Salon Shoes - Articles & Tips

On this page, we will post articles about our shoes, tango and other dance adventires, shoe care, and anything else that might provide useful information about ballroom shoes and tango shoes. We love to dance, and we love to provide shoes that make dancing a more enjoyable and beautiful experience.

Buenos Aires is where tango originated. The tango scene in Buenos Aires is big and vibrant. On any night, you can choose from a number of tango dance venues. The picture above shows Confiteria Ideal, and tango friends John Hauge and Judy Hall - from our November 2010 group trip.

Tango shoes are typically leather soled. This is what we use and recommend. While many dance halls have wooden floors, some have polished stone, linoleum, or terrazzo. Leather soles provide adequate traction on all these surfaces, and are easier to maintain than suede soles - which tend to pick up and retain more goo and dirt. And, many people go from their hotel/apartment to a cab, to the dance hall, in their dance shoes.

Andrea Solis takes a very artsy photo, wearing her cranberry leather Alegria tango shoes. Andrea is a multi-disciplined dancer.

None, really. Tango dancers tend to choose leather soles - for versatility on a variety of floor surfaces, and ballroom dancers tend to choose suede soles, with more traction - because they are usually moving on pristine wooden floors.

Most dance shoe manufacturers will make the same shoe designs with either suede or leather soles. We at Tango Salon Shoes are pleased to offer our customers a choice of leather or suede soles when ordering their tango shoes or ballroom shoes.

Or, better yet, who doesn't need them? Okay, many people have average feet that can fit in many shoe styles. However, most people can benefit from having a pair of shoe stretchers. Whether you need to gently increase the width at the vamp (the widest part of the shoe), or spot stretch the shoes in specific places, stretchers are a great tool. I have two pairs - one for lower heeled shoes (2" or lower), and one for higher heeled shoes (over 2"). Both types are pictured in the photo.

The cost is $25 to $28 for a single stretcher, but they are worth every penny. Buy stretchers that come with metal "buttons" for spot stretching. Generally, people buy the stretcher meant for their shoe size. If your feet are narrow and you don't want to stretch the vamp - just certain spots, buy a smaller stretcher. A good shoe repair shop should be able to order them for you.