Flamenco is a very historical and cultural folk art that is native to the Andalucia province in Spain. To keep its beauty and authenticity as a dance, it is imperative to keep the dance the way it is supposed to be – and that includes wearing the right costume and Flamenco shoes. Wearing the right costume can tell a lot about the dancer, and makes the performance a notch better than people wearing regular dance clothes. This goes the same with wearing the right shoes. But more than that, wearing the right shoes also protects your feet from all that trauma caused by rapid movement on the dance floor, and prevents you from embarrassing incidents like skidding and slipping.
Buying the Shoes
Flamenco shoes are blunt or round toed shoes with two or three inch heels. They sometimes remind you Mary Jane shoes – but with bulky heels. They are usually handcrafted and come in colors that can easily match flamenco costumes, like red, black and purple. If they are not available, finding a good pair of ready made ballroom dancing shoes can do the trick – but make sure that they match the costume well. While strappy and beaded sandals or stilettos may look awesome on red carpets, they might not look well with the Flamenco dance costume, so it’s best to leave them for other uses.
Buying the Right Size
Buying the right size of Flamenco Shoes is imperative. Wearing shoes that are too tight can damage and hurt your toes – and you might not be able to dance for a long time! Wearing too large shoes, on the other hand, may make you feel uneasy. You do not want to spend the rest of the time worrying if your shoes will fall off, when you should be enjoying the dance.
Setting the Budget
Custom made Flamenco Shoes can be hard on the budget. That’s why you need to take your purchase into consideration. First, ask yourself a few questions: Is this simply a past time, or is this something you’d like to continue doing for a couple of years? Are you planning to take Flamenco dancing seriously, or will this end up like unfinished yoga and exercise classes? You really don’t need to buy Flamenco shoes if you’re just testing the dance – waters first. Keeping these in mind can help you save some money, and in turn, save your Flamenco shoes from being future closet junk!
Photo by leah.jones.