Tootsie's Dance Shoes
News and Information
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Tootsie's Dance ShoesNews and Information |
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| About Our Dance Shoe Company |How to Fit Your Shoes |Useful Dance Links and Information |Events and Shows | ||
About Our Dance Shoe Company:Tootsie's Dance Shoes had its beginnings in Omaha, Nebraska in 1990 under the ownership of Ruth Taylor. After 15 years in the dance shoe business, Ruth's retirement meant closing the business or selling to new owners. Lifelong residents of the Kansas City area, Kristine Hines and dancing partner Michael Meade purchased Tootsie's Dance Shoes in February, 2006, and moved the 1700+ pair inventory to Overland Park, KS. Tootsie's Dance Shoes was incorporated on Feb. 2, 2006. Thus began a new chapter in this small business.
As dance partners and music enthusiasts, Kristine and Michael's love of dance soon turned them into respected business partners ready to serve the dance community with quality products at reasonable prices. They can be found at various dance studios or ballrooms just about any night of the week, whether testing new products on the dance floor, learning a new dance step, obtaining customer feedback, or enjoying the company of other dancers.
Tootsie's Dance Shoes carries a wide variety of dance shoes including ballroom dance shoes, Latin dance shoes, jazz shoes, hip hop shoes, vintage and wedding boots, square dance shoes, polka shoes, and swing dance shoes.
We carry several major brands of shoes and boots including Elegance, Celebrity, Capezio, Coast, Glide, Very Fine, Lebo and others. We work closely with the manufacturers and stand behind our products, striving to provide top quality that will be comfortable and wear well. Quality customer service is our top priority. If you can't find what you are looking for, we can order it for you within a very short time frame.
Tootsie's Dance Shoes serves local customers from the Overland Park, KS store, and has also been on the Internet since 1997, reaching customers around the world. Tootsie's shoes and boots are used by dance and theatre groups nationwide as well as supplying costume, bridal, and Western wear shops. Tootsie's Dance Shoes is listed on various costume supply sites and also listed under custom footwear in The Costume Technician's Handbook by Rosemary Ingham and Liz Covey.
Tootsie's Dance Shoes, Inc. is a participant in the Friends of USA Dance program (formerly USABDA) www.usabda.org , a nonprofit organization established for educational and charitable purposes to promote ballroom dancing as a sport and recreational activity.
We are also a member of the National Ballroom and Entertainment Association. The NBEA (www.nbea.com) is a non-profit association which advocates that social dancing is a life-long activity that contributes to the physical, mental, and social well-being of an individual. Social dancing should be preserved for current and future generations and introduced to today's youth as an alternate form of social interaction.
There is a reason the saying goes, "If the shoe fits buy two pair."
Dance shoes should fit as close as possible without causing pain or discomfort. There should be no gap in the heel if possible, no slipping or movement inside the shoe, and just enough room in a closed toe shoe so your toes do not touch the end of the shoe. Many times ladies like a shoe and want to buy it even though it is really not a good fit. We discourage this. I should not be able to stick my finger between your heel and your shoe!
A good fit of the dance shoe is important because dancers need as much control of balance and posture as possible. They need the ability to "feel the floor". Dance shoes that fit well should feel like they are part of your foot, rather like the snug fit of a glove. In a ladies Latin shoe or open-toed shoe, ladies' toes should come as close to the very end of the shoe as possible, even covering the entire tip. This usually means women wear a smaller size in a Latin or open toe shoe.
A good fit in a dance shoe is very important not only for the immediate dance activities, but also for the long term care of your feet. You want to be able to keep dancing! Dance shoes should give good arch support at the proper place. The wrong size shoe, if purchased for the purpose of covering the tip of an open toe shoe with your toes, may not support the arch in the right place. Straps of your dance shoes should be tight enough to prevent your tootsies from sliding inside the shoes.
There should never be pinching or pain. Buy your shoes to fit at the widest part of your foot, even if it means you have to get inserts for narrow heels, etc. Cushions or pads help ease discomfort some people have at the ball of the foot which can be from diminishing soft tissue or surgery.
Did you know that the size and shape of your foot changes during each day and also over time - even as an adult? Remember that during the day your feet swell about 5%, and this makes a difference in how your shoes fit. Also, as dancers develop, their feet change. It is not that surprising to discover that dance shoes that fit last year are not as comfortable any more.
Not only do your feet change, but shoes break down over time, especially if they are worn often or for long periods and not properly cared for. Dance shoes need to be replaced the same way athletes must replace their shoes. Once you find a pair that's just right, buy two pair and switch them out so they can air out and last longer.
The care of your feet is important. If your shoes hurt your feet, donate them to a good cause.
One last bit of advice: Buy quality shoes. They are worth the investment.
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