A Balance of Comfort and Support
Good Footwear
Even though it is not expected that we Line Dance in cowboy boots, our footwear is very important for our personal comfort and I have proven many times that wearing shoes / boots that support your feet and ankles allow you to have better concentration when learning to Line Dance.
Having taught Line Dancing for over 17 years and teaching thousands of new beginners I notice the ladies with loose or ill-fitting shoes often struggle picking up the steps I am trying to teach them.
On several occasions I have advised them to change their footwear and, having done so, have found that not only was it more comfortable but they could concentrate far better if they weren’t subconsciously struggling with their shoes.
Dare I say this, but you can still wear sandals if necessary, but they MUST be very supporting and fit properly.
Guidelines for Good Footwear
- Good Ankle support
- Good Foot support (firm but not tight fitting)
- Easy to spin without being slippery
- Heels should be flat or at most Low Cuban style
Dance into your 90′s
Not only does footwear play a part in your concentration, but it also alleviates foot problems.
Some of us expect to Line Dance until we are in our 90′s (!) so we need to be kind to our feet.
Posture
I see many people with twisted toes and deformed feet from squeezing into “fashion” shoes for the sake of glamour.
I believe that beauty and elegance begins with poise, so whether you are out on the dance floor or in your living room practicing with our instructional Line Dance DVDs, your posture is extremely important!
Good posture keeps your weight over your central point of balance and will better protect you from leg/back problems and allow you to exercise with better results.
Happy Dancing
Liz
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
The type of footwear also depends on the style of line dance you predominately do. You are correct, shoes with no support are dangerous. However, there are some styles of high speed latin line dance that cowboy boots will get you hurt as they have limited ankle flexibility for toe work and slides & spins.
Hi Tom
Thanks for pointing that out to us.
Yes I also do Latin dancing and wear appropriate shoes for that.
Happy Dancing