Inexpensive place to buy dance shoes?

[scrapquitler]

Hi My daughter is taking a dance class for the first time (she's 7 1/2). I don't want to have to buy the shoes from the place and was happy to find shoes today at payless but they aren't split sole. I just read the website and they need to be split sole. Do any other stores like Payless sell ballet and jazz shoes? Actually I think the jazz may be ok but the ballet are not.

Thanks!

EBAY. I almost always buy my DD14's dance shoes on EBay. Get a good brand like Capezio, Bloch or Leos. Most of the time, there are sellers selling new with tags shoes at very reasonable prices.

 

[sk8jdgca]

your little one shouldn't be in split sole shoes-look for full sole

 

[sk8jdgca]

your little one shouldn't be in split sole shoes-look for full sole- the full sole ones will allow your dancer to have her pointe properly trained

Wow I even double posted-see how important I feel this is.

Capezio Daisy shoes are relatively inexpensive (less than 20) and work great

 

[crisi]

Are you looking for a casual dance experience or are you looking for a future of competitive dance?

If you are looking to casual dance, then cheap is going to work fine for an hour a week during the school year. In a casual dance class, they may wear three kinds of shoes for 15 minutes each - you aren't wearing out even cheap shoes. I did three years of casual ballet classes as an adult (i.e. my feet weren't growing) and didn't wear out a pair of shoes.

If you are hoping your daughter will get into competitive dance - or ballet with the end result of being en pointe, then expensive shoes up front are worthwhile - but be prepared for this to be the first outlay towards a very expensive activity.

I feel its important to decide how much commitment YOU are willing to make up front. You can change your mind later, but thinking this through now will keep you from waking up one morning to finding you are spending thousands a year on dance (gymnastics, cheer, baseball, violin, hockey) you never expected to. Also get a feel for the amount of commitment the studio expects. A serious dancer in a casual studio needs to switch. A casual dancer in a serious studio is not going to enjoy themselves (and you'll find yourself spending a lot of money).

 

[czycropper]

LuvDisney00 - Just wanted to let you know that I went to Gigi's in Rahway and had a great experience. So, if you ever want to go by there, it was pretty easy to get there.

My DD ended up switching to Russian Pointe because her super narrow feet. So far so good. Just not liking to have to get new ones soon since she's taking 3 pointe classes between the 2 schools, so I'm sure that she'll be needing another pair by December!

Have a great dance season. Let me know what comps your DDs go to and maybe we could have a DIS Dance Mom get-together

 

[Styx Fan]

My DD took ballet and tap at age 6. She wore each pair of shoes less than 30 minutes 1x per week. I bought the shoes at Payless. They sell a brand called American Ballet Company. I'm sure they are far from professional, but they worked well for us. At that age, I was concerned she would outgrow them before they could wear out. As it turns out, she wore them all year and had no problems.

My studio does not sell shoes or outfits. They are are a studio that takes it seriously, but in no way tries to suggest each little person who takes a class is going to become a competitive dancer. I love that they don't even require a certain outfit for classes. No requirement for a certain color leo or tights. Just clothes that fit close to the body and hair out of the face. Now for competitions or recitals, of course a whole different story.

 

[minnie1012]

I actually wish there was a dance school that was just for fun! One that didn't involve competition or expensive recitals. Maybe there is one out there somewhere but sadly not by me!

I actually went to a dance store I found nearby and got 2 pairs of shoes and it wasn't as much as I thought. I didn't want to go anything too expensive since it is just for fun and I'm not sure how much she will like it or how long she will do it.

thanks again!

 

[ktlm]

Capezio Daisy shoes are relatively inexpensive (less than 20) and work great

DD's dance school requires that all shoes be Capezio. Other brands are not allowed. I agree they seem to work great.

 

[princessmom29]

your little one shouldn't be in split sole shoes-look for full sole- the full sole ones will allow your dancer to have her pointe properly trained

Wow I even double posted-see how important I feel this is.

Capezio Daisy shoes are relatively inexpensive (less than 20) and work great

this isn't necessairly true. My DD will be 8 in Oct and has been in split sole shoes for a year. If the teacher pays proper attention to teaching technique, the pointe will not suffer from split sole shoes at this age. They are old enough to listen and take direction about how to really push through pointe and releve. My daughter actually has a prettier pointe and a better arch in the split sole shoe. She gets better articulation through pointe. If we were talking about preschool age I would agree with you, but not for 1st and 2nd graders.

And though it has been siad before I will sayt it agian, please don't buy dance shoes form payless. Thery are BAD for dancer's feet. Discount dance, dancewear solutions, discounts for dance, dance4less are all good sites for shoes, tights, and leos.

 

[princessmom29]

DD's dance school requires that all shoes be Capezio. Other brands are not allowed. I agree they seem to work great.

waht do they do for girls who cannot wear capezio? Capezio doesn't make a tap shoe that fits DD properly. She wears leos or bloch. Same for Jazz. The capezio jazz do not come in narrow so we buy bloch.

 

[princessmom29]

I actually wish there was a dance school that was just for fun! One that didn't involve competition or expensive recitals. Maybe there is one out there somewhere but sadly not by me!

I actually went to a dance store I found nearby and got 2 pairs of shoes and it wasn't as much as I thought. I didn't want to go anything too expensive since it is just for fun and I'm not sure how much she will like it or how long she will do it.

thanks again!

DD's studio doesn't compete, and thier rectial fee is $20. Costumes run about $40 each for the little ones, so it isn't a really big expense unless you choose to take lots of classes.

 

[ktlm]

waht do they do for girls who cannot wear capezio? Capezio doesn't make a tap shoe that fits DD properly. She wears leos or bloch. Same for Jazz. The capezio jazz do not come in narrow so we buy bloch.

I don't know anyone who has had that problem, so I'm not sure. I looked and it is on all our papers and posted that all shoes must be Capezio and depending on the class they must be a specific style and color for that class. DD wears wide and we have to go across the metro to the one dance store store in town that carries the Capezio taps in wide. Although I know one of the reasons they want it is uniformity on stage, I would bet that if you proved to them that a child really could not wear Capezio (which I'm guessing would involve them personally trying them on the child and coming to their own conclusion it would not work), they would make an exception, but I'm also guessing if they made an exception they would still be picky about what shoes you could use.

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

i always went thru just for kix

 

[kacaju]

LuvDisney00 - Just wanted to let you know that I went to Gigi's in Rahway and had a great experience. So, if you ever want to go by there, it was pretty easy to get there.

We have always gone to Gigi's!! They are wonderful! There is a new dance shop in Edison on Amboy Ave. I do not know the name of it. They do sell Grisko's (sp?) I just checked dd17 dance bag and I know she bought her point shoes at that store.