the ultimate heels guide
Unsure what heels to wear for class or where to find them? Your questions answered!
Wearing the correct shoes for Heels is super important, as it can be unsafe and cause injuries if your feet and ankles are not supported. Therefore we require proper Dance Heels to be worn, and we kindly ask students to wear socks the first few times they join our classes. This is so you can get a feel for the dance style and see if you like it, and learn the technique of Heels without having non-suitable shoes limiting your movement.
Once you have tried Heels a few times and are ready to make that all important investment, we recommend our amazing suppliers Joheela Shoes to shop the best Dance Heels! Not only that, we also offer 15% off with the code “DYNASTY15” - so you can get your shoes for an excellent price!
You may now be wondering which Heels to buy or what heel height to choose, which is why we’ve created The Ultimate Heels Guide! Keep reading for step by step advice on finding the perfect pair for you!
RULE #1 - ANKLE BOOT
A heeled ankle boot that reaches above the ankle is the perfect shoe to support you whilst dancing. Simply put, the tighter the shoes are to your ankles the more strength and support you’ll have. Shoes with laces are advantageous as you can tighten and adjust them to the shape of your feet, simply zipping them up at the back each time you wear them. If knee or thigh-high boots are your vibe these are great too; they have an abundance of ankle support! Just make sure they have a zip at the side or back to make the putting on process a simple one.
To summarise Rule #1 - having ankle support on your shoes will be an absolute game changer with the variety of moves we do in class, helping to improve your strength and mobility!
KYLIE SHOE
RULE #2 - suede sole
Joheela gives you the option for ‘Suede’ or ‘All Floors’ soles, and we highly recommend suede soles for a variety of reasons. Firstly, the sole is soft which supports you in all aspects of dancing! Suede soles will help you to turn with ease, the softness makes pointing your feet much easier (very important in Heels dance) and even just walking is made easier with a suede sole as you’ll simply glide across the floor! Aside from supporting your Dance technique, suede soles also keep our floor mark-free, and as these are indoor only shoes it means we can avoid any dirt from outdoors being brought into our studio. As these shoes can’t be worn outside it means you would need to wear different shoes if we ever did an outdoor dance performance or concept video, but that’s a bridge you can cross when it comes.
To summarise Rule #2 - having a suede sole shoe is paramount when it comes to dancing in Heels, to help with your dance technique and keep our floors nice and clean!
LISA SHOE
RULE #3 - OPEN toe
By now you may notice that both the shoes we’ve showed so far have an open toe. These shoes are absolutely perfect for dancing as they give you maximum freedom to point your feet. Pointy shoes or shoes that are not open toe can make it tricky to dance to your full potential and point your feet, and can make it look as though you’re not pointing your toes even if you are. This is why open toe shoes are perfect! We also recommend bringing a pair of socks to wear with open toe shoes as this will give you more support and coverage during floorwork. Sometimes the moves we do on the floor can be scratchy on your toes, and even though you can wear shoes without socks, your socks will be useful when it comes to these moves. Socks are also beneficial if your feet start to sweat (which is likely in dance) and the inside of your shoe becomes slippery. If you are more of an advanced Heels dancer you may want to try non-open toe shoes after a while, but generally we do recommend open toe, and definitely try to avoid pointy shoes.
To summarise Rule #3 - having open toe shoes is extremely useful, and ultimately these style shoes will support your dance technique and performance in a variety of ways!
ERICA SHOE
RULE #4 - heel shape
There are the two different heel shapes you can choose for your shoes: Flared or Stiletto. Generally the flared shape is more suitable for Latin and Ballroom dancing, but this shape can be useful if you would prefer to have a bit more support in your Heel. This shape is also useful for lower heel heights, something we will cover on the 5th rule. The stiletto heel shape is the most recommended and if we’re honest, the sexiest shape of all! When browsing the website you may notice there are also chunky heels on offer, but we would only recommend these as starter Heels, and it is more likely that you will already own chunky heels before you decide to invest in a pair of Dance Heels. This is why we recommend choosing Stiletto or Flared when purchasing a pair of Dance Heels and not going any chunkier than that.
To summarise Rule #4 - you can fully customise your shoe by choosing the appropriate heel shape for you, but we would recommend Stilettos as the end goal!
EMMA SHOE
RULE #5 - heel height
This is where you can really customise your shoe and make it personal to you! Joheela offer a wide variety of heel heights for you to choose from, with Flared and Stiletto options available depending on the height. The perfect height for you can be dependant on a number of factors: firstly, if you are a Beginner or suffer from any knee issues, we would recommend a 7.5 or 8.5cm heel. As you can imagine, the higher the heel the more strength you need in your legs and feet, so make sure to be smart when choosing a heel height! As you build on your dance journey, or if you really want to push yourself, you can go up to a 10cm Heel; this is the highest height we would personally recommend.
To summarise Rule #5 - the most important thing when choosing your heel height is that you feel comfortable, so whether your chosen height depends on stability or confidence, make sure to choose a pair that makes you feel good!
RULE #6 - SHOE DESIGN
Well this is the best part right, choosing the most gorgeous pair of heels to make your dance experience POP! Now you’ve read all the guidelines to get the perfect fit for technique and safety purposes, don’t forget about choosing a pair of shoes that you absolutely love! Heels dance is all about feeling confident, expressive and touching on the all important self-love, so make sure to choose a pair of shoes that brings out all these amazing things! Joheela have a variety of shoes on offer, but we have picked out our most recommended based on all the important things listed above. Make sure to choose the correct size too, and you can use Joheela’s Size Guide to help you choose, as it may vary from your standard size.
So what are you waiting for? Head to Joheela now to get shopping for your fresh new pair of heels, but don’t forget to use our discount code!
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