Finding your Dance Feet: Wedding Dance Shoes Tips and Tricks
When planning for your first dance, there is a lot to think about! The first step (pun intended) is to start dance lessons in order to learn moves to put together for your perfect first dance! In addition to the dance itself, we would like to share some shoe tips with you that we have found over the years that can help make any first dance a success!
When it comes to shoes and dancing, there are different things to consider that make it easier on both the bride and groom. Let’s start with the groom! Dress shoes are the typical wedding day shoe for most males, which luckily works great for dancing! One thing to be aware of though is that, depending on the material on the bottom of the shoe, it could get a bit slippery on the floor. In order to keep from accidentally doing the splits, there are a few ways to assist with making your shoes less slick. The first option is to scuff up the bottom of the shoes with a hard brush. This will add a few scrapes and texture to the bottom of the shoe, resulting in more traction between the shoe and the floor. Another option is to take a damp rag and swipe it against the bottom of the shoes before you go out on the dance floor. The slight dampness actually helps the shoes grip the floor. You only need to wet the towel slightly, as you don’t want to overdo it and actually create a more slippery surface. These few tips can make all of the difference for our grooms to feel like a confident and sturdy frame to gracefully (and safely) sweep our beautiful brides across the dance floor.
Now for the bride! Picking the perfect shoe for your day is essential, not just for fashion purposes but for dance efficiency! Any shoe you choose, as long as you absolutely love it will be fantastic! But here are a few suggestions: If you are wearing heels, try to find heels that are between ½ to 2 ½ inches. This height range is the perfect height to not hinder your ability to dance. Any higher can sometimes make it a bit more difficult to step confidently. A stiletto heel is totally fine, however, try to make sure it is a heel that feels sturdy enough and not too fragile of a material. If wearing a wedge, some believe this is easier to dance in, but the thing to be cautious about is rolling your ankle. If you walk well in wedges, this shoe style will work great, as long as you are careful to take small steps in your dance as to not trip. If wearing flats, you will have no issues! Just make sure that the shoe is secure to your foot, as flats can be a bit looser and have more of a tendency to slip off.
If you have super cute heels that you just absolutely love that are way higher or maybe a shoe that easily slides off, it may be in your best interest to wear a different pair of shoes specifically for the dance part. If you decide to go this route, make sure that the shoe you switch into still works with the height of the hem of your dress. That being said, if you truly adore the shoes that you have and they do not fit the criteria above, not to worry! You can dance in anything with the proper guidance and instruction! We would just suggest that you start practicing your dance in those shoes sooner rather than later so that you can get used to wearing them and practice any adjustments that may need to be made to make it easier to dance in that chosen shoe. Regardless of the shoe you choose, the most important part about dancing is stepping intentionally, confidently and just being enthusiastic about what you are doing.
We will be writing more tips and tricks for your wardrobe in future blogs but we hope that these recommendations were able to start you off on the right foot! In the meantime, enjoy shoe shopping, and let us know if you need any assistance going from two left feet to stepping right!
XOXO Bella Ballroom
