| Whenever people talk of tap dancing, visions of | | | | unsure of which ones to buy, then here are a |
| Gregory Hines, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers | | | | few pointers: - |
| spring to mind. Those talented superstars from | | | | - Look at how the taps on the toe sole and heel |
| the 1920's and 30's who wowed audiences with | | | | are secured to the shoe; are they screwed on or |
| their abilities to create music through the rapid | | | | are they held on with rivets. If a rivet works |
| rhythmic tapping of their feet against the floor. | | | | loose then you are going to have difficulty |
| It is believed that tap dancing originated in | | | | replacing it and you may end up having to bin the |
| America as African American slaves who in the | | | | shoe whereas, if it is screwed on and the screw |
| absence of any other forms of musical | | | | works loose you can easily replace it. |
| instruments used their own hands and feet to | | | | - How high is the heel and is it solid throughout or |
| recreate the atmosphere and dance routines of | | | | hollow in the middle? If you are new to tap |
| their native homelands. | | | | dancing then you need to be looking for good |
| Prior to the introduction of the metal plates on | | | | quality solid, shorter or flat heels. As you gain in |
| modern day tap shoes, dancers used to wear | | | | experience then you can try using slightly higher |
| wooden clogs with leather uppers which they | | | | heels. |
| would bang against the floor making their own | | | | - Are the shoes a good fit? Poorly fitting dance |
| distinctive sounds. | | | | shoes can not only hurt the feet, but they may |
| Finding the Right Footwear | | | | also affect the sound produced by them. In fact, |
| Today, there is more choice than ever before | | | | did you know the sounds made by your tap |
| when it comes to buying tap dance shoes | | | | dance shoes can also vary depending on the |
| available in a variety of different shapes and | | | | number and placement of the screws in each |
| styles from big brand names such as Bloch, | | | | tap? This is all important as the shoes are defined |
| Capezio and Leo and can vary enormously in | | | | by the sounds they make. |
| price. If you are looking to buy tap shoes but are | | | | |