Best shoes for dancing salsa

When it comes down to dancing salsa at a club, style is just as important as functionality. For those trying to decide on the perfect shoes for salsa dancing, here are three suggestions.

• In most North American and European-style salsa venues, high-heeled shoes are not only expected but necessary. This is because the rapid spins and the under-emphasis on foot work and rhythm involved in styles like L.A. and New York salsa mean that turning on toe-point is of the utmost importance.
• High-heeled shoes also add elegance and glamour to the ballroom-style event spaces where most salsa dancing takes place.
• In Latin American countries however, where the feet need to be able to step to the rhythm and quick spins are less important, high-heeled shoes may actually get in the way when salsa dancing, as these styles focus more on the partners dancing in harmony than showing off for an audience.

• For those taking classes in salsa and learning lots of choreography, professional dance trainers are a good investment.
• Although they look casual and feel comfortable just like tennis shoes, dance trainers are actually partitioned in the middle which allows dancer much more flexibility and allows isolation of different parts of the feet.
• With dance trainers, it's usually possible to do all of the spins that a high-heeled shoe allows because the toe is separate from the heel and can be balanced upon.

• Professional ballroom shoes, with their suede soles and flexible design, are also popular among serious salsa dancers, as they are both lightweight and durable, and they allow for fast motion on the dance floor.
• Ballroom shoes look classy and are appropriate for going out to nice clubs and venues.The particular ballroom shoes used for salsa dancing throughout North America and Europe are called Latin shoes, although you will not find many people wearing them in Latin America, outside of dance training facilities and classrooms.