2492 shoes or sneakers ??
Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2004 08:52:27 -0400
From: Neeraj Korde <nkorde@UMICH.EDU>
Subject: shoes or sneakers ??
hi,
i just wanted to discuss the merits/demerits of tango sneakers over
tango shoes. many say they are comfortable but difficult to pivot in and
initially feel weird.
thanks,
Neeraj Korde
======================
Mechanical Engineering
University of Michigan
======================
Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2004 15:41:44 +0200
From: Christian Lüthen <christian.luethen@GMX.NET>
Subject: Re: shoes or sneakers ??
hi there.
i think you'd have to differentiate between leader/follower wearing
sneakers.
i finally tried 'em out last august before a 4 day summer dance
marathon here in nijmegen ... since then I do wear them for 99,9% of
the time. and i even continued to do so in Buenos Aires earlier this
year. :-)
they might turn not as well as leather soles, but they are actually
quite surface-blind: more or less any surface is fine with them.
a little disadvantage from my point of view: they are bigger /
bulkier than regular dancing shoes ... therefore my hinder the
partners feet.
but this is the leader's dancing opinion.
happy dancing and nice weekend!
Christian
On 5 Jun 2004 at 8:52, Neeraj Korde wrote:
> i just wanted to discuss the merits/demerits of tango sneakers over
> tango shoes. many say they are comfortable but difficult to pivot in
> and initially feel weird. thanks, Neeraj Korde
christian@eTanguero.net
https://www.eTanguero.net/
Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2004 12:39:35 EDT
From: Mallpasso@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: shoes or sneakers ??
As a leader I prefer bowling shoes for practicing... they are much cheaper
than dance sneakers!!
https://www.bowling.com/display.asp?SKU=b20171
https://www.bowlersparadise.com/shop/shoes/dexter/men/turbo-classic.shtml
El Bandito de Tango
In a message dated 6/5/2004 05:53:38 Pacific Daylight Time, nkorde@UMICH.EDU
writes:
hi,
i just wanted to discuss the merits/demerits of tango sneakers over
tango shoes. many say they are comfortable but difficult to pivot in and
initially feel weird.
thanks,
Neeraj Korde
======================
Mechanical Engineering
University of Michigan
======================
Date: Sun, 6 Jun 2004 22:30:52 +0100
From: Hector <hector.ariza@NTLWORLD.COM>
Subject: Re: shoes or sneakers ??
I wouldn't wear sneakers for dancing, I think they look tacky. I could
consider it for practicing, though. However, I've heard that in the long run
they trash the knees (because of all the pivoting).
The suggestion of bowling shoes (for practicing) is interesting...
Hector
Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2004 18:18:00 -0400
From: skindance@JUNO.COM
Subject: Re: shoes or sneakers ??
Neeraj:
This subject has been covered multiple times on Tango-L. It is extremely
unfortunate that there is not an organized TANGO-L reference archive or a
search engine for
Tango-L so the previous posts could be accessed.
You must first define what you mean by sneakers. Years ago these were
light canvas top w/rubber sole shoes used by tennis players and on boats,
being also called tennis and deck shoes. There were no leather top,
"rubber" soled shoes then. The former are still obtainable. The bottoms
vary, but one could probably glue suede leather soles or the synthetic
substitute to the bottoms. These would not be bulky and would pivot.
The latter could have the same bottom treatment, but are bulky. Better
perhaps are good bowling shoes (flatter soles, usually cushioned for
comfort) which are also bulky, but sensational for enduring hours of
continual workshops. These have been used for years by swing and country
dancers. I have even seen the athletic type with bottoms so smooth that
he claimed pivots were no problem. Christian may have been referring to
this type. I am skeptical and would not want to try double or triples in
them (not a factor in tango). The bulk gives bit of a challenge for
secadas, but kinder on the follower of a badly aimed back secada than the
heel of a dance shoe.
The org. type canvas sneaker with a composition dance sole glued on might
be the best compromise; especially, for workshops. I believe sneakers
designed for boats may have less flex and thus give better adhesion of
the dance sole being attached.
Jim
Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 08:32:00 +0100
From: "John H. Walton" <jwalton@CIX.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: shoes or sneakers ??
I assumed that the original reference thread was to "Dance Sneakers", a
term probably invented because it gave the product the required "cool"
property required by the younger generation!
Such "Sneakers" are now manufactured by all the major professional dance
footwear companies, including Bloch, Capezio etc. Spinability varies with
the style (of which there are probably now hundreds); some have circles of
concentric ridges on the sole, to aid turning. But one problem you may
have is that because the characteristics differ from traditional shoes, if
you switch to shoes for formal events, you may have difficulty adapting!
Best Regards, John
https://www.danceweb.co.uk/tango
Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 22:55:04 +0900
From: astrid <astrid@RUBY.PLALA.OR.JP>
Subject: Re: shoes or sneakers ??
"Dance Sneakers", a
> term probably invented because it gave the product the required "cool"
> property required by the younger generation!
>
> Such "Sneakers" are now manufactured by all the major professional dance
> footwear companies, including Bloch, Capezio etc. Spinability varies with
> the style (of which there are probably now hundreds);
I have noticed that (like with almost everything else on tango-l) mostly men
are answering the question on sneakers. The reason may well be that black,
bulky sneakers look way better half hidden under a pair of slacks on a man,
than worn with fishnet stockings and a slinky black skirt..
But I believe, that for women there may be an additional problem:
Yes, it is true that rubber soled padded sneakers can save your metatarsal
from suffering any further from all that grinding and bearing most of your
weight most of the time. And yes, my Bloch dance sneakers do have a ovally
shaped smooth area on their soles under the ball of the foot for pivoting.
But, and this is the big draw back:
they tend to ruin my little adornos and detract from the finesse and
elegance of the dance. For instance, when coming back from a giro, I tend to
cross behind instead of closing my feet. In this step, the left foot glides
with it's tip around heel of the right foot until the ankles cross. If I do
this in dance sneakers, I have a thick rubber edge around the tip of my left
shoe, which I am trying to *smoothly and subtly* slide around bulky rough
rubber heel of the right foot. Does this ever work smoothly and elegantly?
Not in my experience. My sneakers present a major obstacle in this case, so
I only use them for plain walking practise in lengthy events, nothing
intricate requiring more sensitivity.
Astrid
Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 11:22:45 -0400
From: Neeraj Korde <nkorde@UMICH.EDU>
Subject: Re: shoes or sneakers ??
On Sat, 5 Jun 2004 skindance@JUNO.COM wrote:
> Neeraj:
> You must first define what you mean by sneakers. Years ago these were
> light canvas top w/rubber sole shoes used by tennis players and on boats,
> being also called tennis and deck shoes. There were no leather top,
> "rubber" soled shoes then. The former are still obtainable. The bottoms
> vary, but one could probably glue suede leather soles or the synthetic
> substitute to the bottoms. These would not be bulky and would pivot.
I am relatively new to tango so just wanted some opinions at which ones to
go for. By tango shoes i meant the formal leather shoes which elegantly
dressed males would wear and by tango sneakers i meant the more atletic
looking shoes commonly seen at practicas. i used
the word sneakers because they are like sneakers, silent and comfy and
could not come up with anything better. this thread may have generated
more opinions than expected but i think its good to remind people of safety and
comfort issues every once in a while.
Also most people have pointed out modifying the soles(outside) of sneakers
but some have pointed out adding cushions kind of things on the inside of
formal shoes. the latter is intersting, gives u the look and the comfort.
thanks, Neeraj
Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 12:22:59 EDT
From: Mallpasso@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: shoes or sneakers ??
This selection of womens' bowling shoes don't look as bulky as the dance
sneakers:
https://bowlersparadise.com/shop/shoes/dexter/women/
In a message dated 6/7/2004 07:07:50 Pacific Daylight Time,
astrid@RUBY.PLALA.OR.JP writes:
"Dance Sneakers", a
> term probably invented because it gave the product the required "cool"
> property required by the younger generation!
>
> Such "Sneakers" are now manufactured by all the major professional dance
> footwear companies, including Bloch, Capezio etc. Spinability varies with
> the style (of which there are probably now hundreds);
I have noticed that (like with almost everything else on tango-l) mostly men
are answering the question on sneakers. The reason may well be that black,
bulky sneakers look way better half hidden under a pair of slacks on a man,
than worn with fishnet stockings and a slinky black skirt..
But I believe, that for women there may be an additional problem:
Yes, it is true that rubber soled padded sneakers can save your metatarsal
from suffering any further from all that grinding and bearing most of your
weight most of the time. And yes, my Bloch dance sneakers do have a ovally
shaped smooth area on their soles under the ball of the foot for pivoting.
But, and this is the big draw back:
they tend to ruin my little adornos and detract from the finesse and
elegance of the dance. For instance, when coming back from a giro, I tend to
cross behind instead of closing my feet. In this step, the left foot glides
with it's tip around heel of the right foot until the ankles cross. If I do
this in dance sneakers, I have a thick rubber edge around the tip of my left
shoe, which I am trying to *smoothly and subtly* slide around bulky rough
rubber heel of the right foot. Does this ever work smoothly and elegantly?
Not in my experience. My sneakers present a major obstacle in this case, so
I only use them for plain walking practise in lengthy events, nothing
intricate requiring more sensitivity.
Astrid
Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2004 09:45:08 -0700
From: Ilona Koren-Deutsch <ilonakd@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: shoes or sneakers ??
> In a message dated 6/7/2004 07:07:50 Pacific
> Daylight Time, astrid@RUBY.PLALA.OR.JP writes:
> I have noticed that (like with almost everything
> else on tango-l) mostly men
> are answering the question on sneakers. The reason
> may well be that black,
> bulky sneakers look way better half hidden under a
> pair of slacks on a man,
> than worn with fishnet stockings and a slinky black
> skirt..
As far as I know, nobody is required to wear fishnet
stockings and slinky black skirts, regardless of
gender.
