Are Your Wedding Shoes Dance Worthy? by Jeff Allen

   At a first glance this article may not yet seem important to you but rest assured it is! How often have you worn a new pair of shoes that outlast the joy of their cosmetic enhancements and compliments to your wardrobe after fifteen minutes? Why, because the distracting notion of ripping them off your feet occurs about every 30 seconds. Are you having fun with your new shoes yet? Or is the discomfort they are causing making you very irritable on your wedding day? These are definitely rhetorical questions that you do not want to be asking yourself when walking down the aisle or several hours later when you are about to step onto the dance floor for your first dance. Now that I have piqued your interest, let me give you an overview of how a professional ballroom dancer treats a new pair of shoes.

   We dancers have a motto; "You break your shoes in, never let your shoes break your feet in." The first thing we notice is any chafing around the periphery of our foot. Because we know that it only takes a few minutes to produce a blister we get out the trusty shoe stretcher. These shoe stretchers once thought of as a joke or fantasy are now readily available at any store that displays foot care products. They are under $10 and will probably last a lifetime. Along with their plastic inserts the user can focus right in at the area of discomfort and give the shoes a little tweak or a good old fashion stretch. Do this in small increments so as not to tear or over-do the stretch. Believe it or not a hair dryer can be used to soften-up the shoes simulating the warmth of your foot and provide for an easier and safer stretch. Now that you own the shoes challenge them and your feet against some hard flooring. Cushioned insoles are available adding immensely to the comfort of your stride. Sometimes if the shoes are too tight, I will stretch my shoes just to accommodate these cushioned inserts.

   Once you have created or increased the comfort level of your shoes make sure you practice your dancing in them. There is no need to worry about getting them soiled, etc. White baby shoe polish or many other bleaching cleaners can have them looking new in moments. You must get used to the poise and balance necessary to accommodate the elevation of the shoe. Your intended needs to feel your stride as well as your elevation in comparison to his for your picture perfect dancing. The soles are generally finished as a slick and hard material therefore take them outside to the concrete sidewalk and work diligently to scrape up the bottoms for safety purposes. You definitely do not need any thrills or spills walking on a hard surface or carpeting during the ceremony or reception.

   Seeing that much of the above has been orientated towards the Bride I must include a point so important that I included it in my book, Quickstart To Social Dancing. Sirs, if you have never worn patent leather shoes before make sure you rub some petroleum jelly across the entire inside edge of at least one of the shoes. Patent leather sticks like glue when it makes contact with itself.. You do not want to hit the deck when turning to walk up the aisle after kissing your new bride or when closing your feet while dancing! Sometimes you may have the opportunity to try out the dance floor at your reception room. If presented with this opportunity take it and practice. You will be much less nervous dancing the day of your wedding if you expose yourself to the atmosphere of the room in advance. When the floor conditions are too sticky use a little talcum powder and if the floor is too slippery (donut laugh) wipe a little castor oil on the soles.

    Jeff Allen is the resident dance expert at Bliss!™ where he can be found moderating "The Next Step" dance forum. He has been teaching Brides & Grooms for more than 15 years and is the Author of America's number 1 dance book, Quickstart To Social Dancing along with the wedding dance video, The Complete Guide To Slow Dancing.