Sunday 19 February 2012




Shoes. We love them! Tango shoes are one of the big attractions of dancing Argentine tango. Dancing Argentine tango, we are caught in the web of delight - colours, styles, heels, straps, femininity. We can’t resist the shoe stalls at milongas; our trips to Buenos Aires centre around the dozens of shoe shop which tempt our attention.

But just what is happening with tango shoes? I have been fortunate enough to be bought some gorgeous shoes, sourced from various stores in Buenos Aires, and many have given good service – reliable, well constructed, durable and comfortable. So imagine my disappointment when not one, but three of my recently acquired pairs of shoes failed without warning, and when I discovered to my horror, that the cause of failure was really poor design and shoddy workmanship. Whilst the prices have escalated way beyond inflation, the quality of tango shoes appears to have plummeted. Let’s face it, Argentine tango is not an ‘extreme sport’, weight is centred on the soles and angles appear only as decorations. Is it that the suppliers see our tourist market as a ‘get rich quick’ target? Which of the shoe makers is looking at long-term sustainability of supply? Do they not think that tangueras chat together to share their misery as well as their delights? Share your thoughts and concerns, and maybe with the weight of opinion, we could end up getting a better deal.

Sunday 12 February 2012

Or if ganchos with spikes seems too dangerous, try this pair of mules!


Do you like stilettos? Well here are some spikes that would go down a treat at the milonga and stop men treading on your toes.


Friday 10 February 2012

Christian Louboutin

Maybe not for tango, or maybe? A glimpse behind the scenes with Christian and his distinctive must-have shoes.


How many shoes, and what do they say about you?


Wednesday 8 February 2012

Stretch your shoes with ice

They seemed great when I bought them, but now my feet are killing me! How often have I heard those words? Well, do not despair. There is always an answer, and here Michelle comes up trumps to save that favourite pair of shoes that nip your toes.


Monday 6 February 2012

Great Guide from tangoshoeguide.com
Getting the size right with your tango shoes makes a huge difference to your tango. Dance shoes get much more wear than street shoes, and finding the right fit is vital.
When thinking about sizes for your Argentine tango shoes, bear in mind that some materials stretch and others don't. For example, if I'm buying leather tango shoes, I get them in a 37, because I know they'll stretch to fit my foot like a glove. But if I buy shoes made of something stiff, like glued glitter, than I buy a 38 because I know they won't stretch at all.
You'll hear different advice about whether you need to get your tango shoes tighter or looser than street shoes. I find that if they're loose I feel very insecure in them. I once got a pair that felt incredibly comfy when I bought them, but once I'd worn them a few times they'd stretched to the point where they were too loose. I know one woman who always buys her tango shoes a size too small because they stretch. Personally I think that's going a step too far. I find shoes that are too tight very painful to dance in, and I feel like I can't use my toes.
I would say you want your tango shoes to fit snugly, but you don't want them to squeeze. Besides, if you get them too small, your toes may end up sticking out the end and onto the floor. This is a common problem for girls with narrow feet, because they have to get shoes that fit their width, even if they're too short. Girls with slightly wider feet may have the opposite problem, and find they have to get shoes which feel a little too long in order to have a comfortable width. There's one Argentine tango shoe company I know that offers a solution to this – Diva Boutique carry some lines that you can get in wider or narrower fittings.
Most Argentine tango shoe suppliers are very helpful with sizing, and very experienced, and can offer good advice about sizes. If you're buying tango shoes by mail, with quite a lot of stores, you can email them a drawing of your foot, and they'll tell you which size they think you need.
To make the drawing, stand on a piece of paper on a hard surface, and draw round your foot with the pencil vertical (they'll adjust the measurement to account for the width of the pencil). Then draw two lines – one going down the 
length of your foot, from the middle of the heel to the longest point of your toes, and one going across the widest part of your foot. On those lines, mark off centimeter intervals. Then write down the precise total measurements as well. Do this for both feet, as they won't be quite the same. If you've marked the centimeters, then you can email the drawings or fax them, and the people in the shoe store will still be able to see the measurement accurately.
Argentina
35
36
37
38
39
40
USA
5
6
7
8
9
10
Europe
35
36
37.5
38.5
40
42
UK
2.5
3.5
4.5
5.5
6.5
7.5
Centimeters
22.8
36
37
38
39
40
In case for any reason the staff can't help you work out your size, here's a tango dance shoe sizing guide for women. Basically, Argentine sizes run about the same as American street sizes, plus 30. For example, I take a 37 or 38 in Argentina, and in the US I take about a 7 or 8. In the UK I take about a 5.
One thing to note if you're a European shopping for tango shoes – if a shoe claims to be a 38, then that's probably an Argentine 38, which is not the same as a European 38. So be careful to check!

How many shoes does a woman need?





Tango shoes and still more tango shoes




Great article by Angelina's Tango Blog

Why do women love shoes so much? Why do so many find it necessary to have more than one or two pairs of tango shoes? And why is the search for the perfect shoe never over? As a woman with only 12 pairs of tango shoes I can't answer any of these questions.
I love looking at, dreaming about and buying shoes - especially tango shoes. I have a shoe cupboard that takes up a whole wall in my bedroom and it is overflowing! I know a beautiful pair of shoes makes one feel special - and that when someone comments on your tango shoes you feel even more pleased!
An article in Psychology Today suggests it may have something with making a woman's legs look longer than her torso. Apparently "a person of average height (5ft 4in tall) was rated most attractive when their inside leg measurement was 30.5 in, which is 5% longer than the average leg measurement for a person that size.  In other, words you could be more attractive if you could lengthen your legs by a few inches..." and what better way to do this than in a pair of beautifully elegant high heels. 
TangoAustralia runs stories on tango dancing, music, tango teachers, milongas, tango etiquette and tango shoes - and it will be no surprise to know that the articles on tango shoes receive more visits than any other articles by far. 13,343 visits for the article on Buying tango shoes in Buenos Aires as I write this - and 10,857 for the Q&A on Where Can I Buy Tango Shoes?
Recently I have learnt of two new online tango shoe stores based in Australia - and one in the pipeline that is aiming to be the biggest and best and beat all the others with free shipping! There is even a web site for those who have made a mistake buying their tango shoes and want to onsell them! (This can happen when a tanguera asks a friend to buy her a pair on a trip to Buenos Aires, and it can be an expensive mistake as tango shoes are often between $150 and $250).
Why aren't I linking to any of the above-mentioned shoe stores you may wonder - especially if you are in the market for tango shoes. I would be delighted to if I felt there would be some support in return from the shoe stores - it is not that they haven't been asked. Why don't I set up my own online shoe store then? Well it's not that I haven't thought about it - my reluctance has something to do with not being left with unwanted stock piled up in the garage or under the house - something I have learnt about the hard way in retail.
I will watch this current surge in shoe stores online with some interest... as with any market place the cake is only a certain size and if too many arise their slices may become so small they cannot survive.
In the meantime if you want to find out more about tango stores - check out this blog which lists the tango shoe stores in Buenos Aires - and also the milongas, and take it from there.

Why the Shoe Shout?

Tango shoes by Timoshea

Since August 2011 I have been writing and posting articles about dance shoes, or more particularly as an Argentine tanguera, tango dance shoes. Shoes are one of the big draws to tango, and one of our greatest investments. Dancers are regularly paying up to $200 (£150) for a single pair; and of course it doesn't stop there. Look in any dancer's wardrobe and you will find the rest - a whole shelf of dance shoes.

A number of friends and readers suggested that the 'Shoe Shout' should migrate from tangoconnections to an open blog, to be accessible for those who don't join member sites. So, whilst continuing to mirror-post there, here is the result: the new 'Shoe Shout' with all the articles and pictures associated with shoes and feet.

As well as information, the blog is intended to provide advice. Your contributions here will be gratefully accepted. But a word of caution - I will do my best to ensure that what is posted is safe; but always remember that this is a shoe blog and not intended to advance miracle cures for dancers. Always take expert advice when it comes to feet!