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Shoes for tango (and the tango of shoes)
A short professional guide for Tango dancers
(trans. by E. Marseglia)
1) Dancing shoes and therefore also tango shoes should fit perfectly, contouring the feet exactly so that there is no rubbing on the skin. Rubbing can cause painful blisters and stop you dancing for a week or even longer.
There are three types of feet which often also determine different foot widths:
a) Greek type where the second toe is the longest one
b) Egyptian type where the big toe is the longest one
c) Square type where all toes are equally long
The shape of the shoe should respect the natural shape of your feet and which type they are, otherwise you risk inflammation and malformation of the metatarsal-phalanges joints. Any shoe which is handmade by a professional is a better option, but, in addition, you need to choose one which has the most similar shape to your own feet. It will be nice, too, when it is more common for shoemakers to produce models which have varying widths.
2) A tango dancer (non professional) should avoid all shoes
a) with decorations, because they can scratch your partner’s shoes
b) made of patent leather (anti-adherent cream spread on them only lasts a few hours),
c) made of chamois leather, because they will stick to your partner’s shoes
Excluding b and c, the best choice is a shoe made of soft smooth leather.
3) Shoes for male dancers normally have a “closed” style, while shoes for female dancers (apart from styles similar to the men’s – used by female teachers), are found in a variety of different styles, with straps crossed over the instep, with a single strap around the ankle, etc. It is very important that the strap or any other part of the shoe does not restrict articulation, which can cause stiffening of the joints, or put any pressure on the Achilles tendon, which can cause it to become inflamed). If you choose a two-tone model with sewn edges, then check that these edges do not put any pressure on your foot. There should be a protective inner lining to prevent this.
4) To find the right shoes you should try them on in the (late) afternoon, when your feet are slightly swollen from increased blood circulation (as they are after dancing several hours). In summertime the ‘right time’ can be as early as midday. You should buy your shoes one size smaller than your normal size, because there should not be any space between your foot and the inside of the shoe. This ensures that you can communicate with your partner through your feet without looking down, which is a useful adjunct for pauses and complicated figures. It also encourages a better “reshaping/adaptation” of new shoes to your feet.
5) Normally the sole should be made of a type of leather which allows you to turn (pivot) easily. Rubber soles (gym shoes in particular) tend to stick to the floor and block the feet when the upper part of the body is turning. This can cause serious injury to the knee by damaging the inner menisci and the cross ligaments.
There are three types of soles most commonly used for tango shoes:
a) leather for ‘normal’ floors; tile floors; and for outdoor dancing in general
b) chamois leather (which you have to scrape with a special brush)
for wooden-floors; very smooth marble-floors; and normally only for indoor dancing
c) smooth plastic for uneven floors; stone floors; outdoor pavements; theatre floors (which are treated for ballet dancing to inhibit sliding)
A serious amateur dancer or a professional has shoes with all three types of soles to be prepared for any kind of floor. It should be kept in mind though that very slippery floors or very smooth soles are not safe for tango dancing, nor are excessively rough floors or sticky soles which can cause severe knee injuries.
6) The part of the shoe under the arch of the foot should be rigid to prevent the lowering of the metatarsals while turning. Without this support hyperflexion can occur which frequently causes inflammation of the joints between the metatarsals and the inner toes (phalanges) and, unfortunately, for a frequent dancer this can become chronic. The healing process is long and difficult and the joints remain painful even when you are not dancing.
7) To avoid this inflammation of the metatarsal-phalange joints you can have a small pad inserted inside the shoe underneath the front part of the foot, or you can put one there yourself. This prevents you from lifting up the centre of the metatarsals and hyperflexing when you raise your heel. For a healthy foot it is best to insert the pad behind the joints (towards the arch of the foot), while for feet already inflamed the pad should be placed directly underneath the joints that are hurting.
8) Apart from inflammation, this incorrect movement of the metatarsals can cause other problems such as corns which are nothing more than natural pads which form under the metatarsals and/or under the second, third and fourth toes. Corns can form as a result of any excessive or incorrect use of the foot and are usually quite painful. They should be removed (ideally by a specialist) and the cause pinpointed and stopped as soon as they appear.
9) The height of the heel for a female dancer’s shoe is normally about 4-8 cm and for a male dancer’s shoe about 3-5 cm. The choice depends on various factors. For example:
a) you are used to a particular heel height which suits you and does not cause injury
b) you use a particular heel for learning/teaching
c) you are a woman dancing as a man
d) you are a beginner and still working on your balance
e) your metatarsal-phalange joints are already hurting
f) you particularly want to tone up the calf muscles (important for professionals)
For all cases b-f it is best to choose a low broad heel.
Shoes need to be looked after. To clean them use a neutral colourless cream, because using a coloured cream can “paint” your partner’s clothes while you are dancing. Some people apply a glycerine cream to patent leather shoes before dancing to prevent them sticking to other shoes, but this will only be effective for a few hours. There are also various opinions on how to maintain the anatomical shape of shoes: some people use wooden-forms, some use newspaper, which has the added advantage of absorbing the humidity inside the shoe after a night of dancing. For soles made of chamois leather you need to clean and scrape them before using them again.
