Doom, Gloom and a Silver Lining

Please tell me I’m not the only one. It seems if I like something…whether that be a food, a beverage, lipstick, shampoo, jeans, shoes…they quit making it. Examples: Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific shampoo and I know you can get it on eBay but it costs a fortune, or the style of Sketcher shoes I like it’s a good thing I have multiple pairs, and on and on. I’ve dealt with these little annoyances over the years and have come to understand if I like something it’s doomed.

But now the gloves are off; my beloved Argentina tango shoes are no more. At least, they are no longer available at the place I used to get them. I don’t know what happened, but the shoes they now say are “tango sneakers” are not the kind I have loved and worn for three years. I’ve had such a struggle with my dance shoes and now that I’ve found ones that work for me they are gone??? I wrote to the company…where are my shoes???? No reply. Maybe my hysterical email scared them. Crazy American shoe lady. But this is bad. Very bad. I dance a lot and wear out my shoes, and last year’s are about worn through. I get two pairs a year. Hey…you replace running shoes every 6 months.

So. I am researcher by training and nature, especially when I’m motivated. Especially when we’re talking about dance shoes. First discovery: I found that the place I bought my sneakers actually got them from somewhere else. The name brand of these shoes is Fabio. (Perfect name.) They have a store. In Argentina. They have a website. In Spanish.

Discovery two: I found some other Argentina sites that do sell Fabio shoes and have an English option. And I now have a greater appreciation for the original place I purchased my sneakers. The old place could be, um, quirky, ”these shoes will make your fingers grip the floor” or the occasional “we are out of blue you may have silver”, but overall I was very happy with the service. And the shoes. The new sites give quirky a whole new definition: “we can't guarantee the color OR the fit.” Heh? Color is one thing, but you can’t guarantee the FIT? And of course, sending them back to Argentina is about 35 bucks, and who knows how many times you’d have to mail back and forth if they can’t guarantee the size? Seesh.

Discovery three: there are no dealers in the US that sell Fabio, except for some dance schools and they mark them up. I understand. Dance schools have to make money. But I need to keep mine.

Discovery four: I found a store in Canada called Guaranteed Fit Tango Shoes. They had my beloved Fabio sneakers, and do indeed guarantee the fit as long as you return them clean, although I knew I wouldn’t need to. They ended up being cheaper than the old Argentina place because the shipping was only around 15 bucks. And they arrive in about two weeks as opposed to over a month. You can also earn 5 bucks off your next pair if you review them. They were not exactly like my original ones…the heel is one centimeter higher…but close enough.

The only bad thing? They come in black and… black. SIGH. Don’t get me wrong, black is my color of choice, but dang, a girl needs some bling. Lucky for me I’m handy with the fabric paint. I ordered two pairs and decorated one with silver and the other with a golden copper. On the Argentina Fabio site the sneakers come in a blinding array of colors, prints, and levels of sparkle. Drool.

Whew. At least I have my shoes. Although now I’m worried. I like this company…

http://www.guaranteedfittangoshoes.com/

Dance Sandals

Can you possibly stand yet another post about dance shoes? Could it be your knee challenged dancer is tired of her Argentina dance sneakers? No way. I still love them with all my heart, and more importantly, with all my joints.

But they are sneakers, and I’ve never given up the longing for a bit fancier shoe for elegant events. I do have a pair of black boots (Sansha brand, warning: they run a size bigger than your street shoe) that I bought for a Halloween outfit last year. They are very nice and look cool. In the winter. But what about the summer?

I was resigned to wear my sneakers during hot weather. But then I found…the Grecian dance sandal. If you are looking on a UK site they call them Greeks. They look scary; that almost non existent strap under the instep just doesn’t seem like it would work.

But it does. They are low heeled (one inch), comfy (I added a foot ball pad), and they look like…sandals! Granted, they are not the strappy competition ballroom numbers you see on TV. They are not as comfortable as my sneaks. But, they are delicate looking and in my mind perfect for fancy dances. Many brands out there, my favorite is Bloch. They come in black, always good, and also a suntan that practically disappears on your feet if you are that color. Which I am….with a little fake tan.

Depending on which site you go to, there are all kinds of advice about sizing. Mine fit exactly true to size; I wear a 7 street shoe and a 7 Bloch fit me. They cost anywhere from 30-50 bucks on line, I got mine for considerably less on ebay. Here they are:

Kelly Gets Her Own Shoe!

Okay, so maybe that's hyperbole. In reality, Argentine Tango Shoes has a new line of dance sneakers named 'Indiana' and since Kelly's purchased (and has a great love of) Argentine Tango's shoes, I'm not opposed to thinking the credit falls to her. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! So, cruise over to Argentine Tango Shoes, and search for the Indiana model and think of Kelly, why don't cha?

The Best Shoes

OK, so I’ve talked about my dance shoes a lot and my journey to find the best ones: sueding soles on street shoes, giving up high heeled shoes because of health issues, and whining about the loss of said shoes. I’ve mentioned my wonderful Argentina dance sneakers in previous posts, both my love of them and the “looks” I have gotten while wearing them, both good and bad. Progress on that front, but let me start with another cheer for these incredible, fabulous shoes.

The shoes made by Argentina Tango Shoes are the BEST I have ever had on my feet comfort wise, and even though I have chosen to get a low heeled variety, they are very sparkly and pretty. (You can opt for a high heel if you want.) The service from this company is also perfection; any question you have will be answered promptly by Guido Scaduto, the manager. You can choose a style on their new web site (below), or you can design your own. I can’t say enough about these shoes. I can dance all night. They lace up nice and tight. I have much less pain than I used to have in my high heels. And even though they are low, they are cute! Here’s a pic of me in a pair:

About the sneaker “looks” I’ve gotten. Within the clubs Gary and I danced in ladies all wore very high, strappy shoes. When I first started wearing my low tango sneakers I got stares…some were not so nice. But as I kept wearing them more and more women asked me where did I get those shoes…I happily told them. After that more and more women started to wear low heels. This may not be entirely my doing, but I like to think I have had some impact on heel height.

I think my greatest day came at the VERY fancy Roof ballroom here in Indy. A beautifully gowned women stopped me in the ladies’ room. She pointed at my tango sneakers, sighed, and said those are pretty and they look comfortable. I said yes to both, and told her where I had gotten them.

The world of dance is glamorous. And I admit rather sadly, that there is nothing that makes a woman look long and lean as a pair of strappy high heels, dancing or not. BUT…if I think of dancing as a sport and I do, and if I would never wear a pair of high heels to an aerobics class, they why would I think of wearing those heels to dance in?

Remember the mermaid in The Little Mermaid.. (not the Disney version, the real story by Andersen)? When the mermaid walked on land she experienced terrible pain...like knives shooting up her spine. This was her trade for the ability to walk on land. My discomfort wasn't that bad, but I realized after I began wearing the sneakers that looking nice didn't have to be painful. I could have it all.

In short, my tango sneakers are cute, sparkly, and comfortable. The company will make them however you would like. They are not cheap, but no more expensive than a pair of regular dance shoes or a good pair of running sneaks. I whole heartedly recommend this company. At least check out the website. Happy shopping. :-)


Guido D. Scaduto, Manager

argentinatangoshoes.com
info@argentinatangoshoes.com
http://www.argentinatangoshoes.com/

Concrete and More Shoes

In looking at this title you might ask, and what do these two items have in common? On the surface, perhaps, they don't. But I have found these two things crucial in my quest for dancing injury free, one bad, one good. Let's take the bad first and get it over with.

Like many things in dancing, I'd really never given the floor on which I dance much thought. I noticed they were mostly wood, with the occasionally tile and sometimes concrete. I knew that wood was best. I'm not a total dweeb. I'd also heard the terms "floating" floor bandied about and even danced on one. I have to say I was a bit disappointed, I thought I'd actually see it hover or something. Not really. But I did think I'd be able to feel it move but I didn't.

All this time Gary and I had been doing our practice at home. We have a nice wood floor, albeit small. After I started to have some problems with my knees I realized they hurt most after dancing on certain flooring. Tile not so good, concrete...horrible. And surprisingly, our wood floor at home. I asked my dance teacher about various flooring. Wooden dance floors, she said, were either "floating" meaning they had a bunch of cushioning underneath, or had a criss cross wood system underneath. I thought about our floor at home. We live in a condo. Our nice wood floor sits, you guessed it, atop a huge slab o' concrete.

So. I have eliminated all dancing on concrete period. At home we still practice our steps, but we don't dance hard anymore. I also, on the advice of a medical friend, wear shoes or supportive sandals in the house. Think about it, she said, you are walking back and forth all day long (I work at home) with bare feet...on concrete.

The other part of this post is the fun part. Shoes. I have pretty much given up even my thick Cuban heels except when we go to a really fancy dance. It's a sport. So I need sports shoes. I found a cool place in Argentina...they do most of the shoes for Dancing With The Stars. They are not cheap. Mine were around $120, but for happy feet and knees that is so worth it. They are dance sneakers. Not as pretty as sky high heels, but very cute and sparkly. And oh so comfortable. They make them to order, and the support staff are very nice. Here is the web site:

www.argentinatangoshoes.com

In conclusion, I discover every day how much dancing really is a sport. You have to take care of your body if you want to dance a lot. And I do.