5 Tips for buying your perfect tango shoes

Tip 1. Heel height

High heels look great, but if it's your first pair of tango shoes and you're not used to wearing high heels, it's better to start with a lower heel and work your way up. This way you can improve your balance and spend more time dancing. Tango shoes will start at 6cm and go up to 11cm. 

If you feel very comfortable in high heels (we're talking about the safety of walking to work in high heels every day), then you should feel comfortable with a medium heel. The medium heel is around 8cm.

Tip 2. Take your normal shoe size

When choosing your shoes, make sure they are the same size as your street shoes. The myth that you have to go one size smaller in Argentine tango shoes is not entirely true. It depends on the brand. Trying them on is essential, because all shoe brands are different and there is no international standard. 

When buying tango shoes, you should make sure that there is not too much space between the tips of your toes and the end of the shoe - 3-4mm maximum. If your toes are quite close to the edge, that's fine.

Tip 3. Open heel vs. closed heel

A closed heel means that the back of the foot is supported and strapped into the back of the shoe. This is particularly suitable for beginners as it helps with balance and gives a feeling of more support and security.

But even if it is your first pair of tango shoes, you should not leave out the more glamorous sister,( the open heel). If you have narrow feet and need to go for the smaller size, an open heel shoe can give you the extra few millimetres your foot needs to manoeuvre. Meanwhile, some brands are producing narrower shoes for narrow feet.

Tip 4: Buy tighter fitting shoes

As a rule of thumb, comfortable shoes stretch to fit your feet; the materials the shoes are made of are important.  Shoes that cut into the skin or hurt when you first try them on are too tight, will almost always hurt. 

Shoes that are "roomy" and a bit loose on first fitting are likely to slip at the first dance and not give you the security and stability you will need.

Tip 5. Comfort vs. appearance

With your first pair of shoes, look for a pair that is versatile and fits your foot well. You might fall in love with a pair of red or silver shoes, but if the size or shape doesn't quite fit, please let your common sense rule over your heart and go for the pair that is comfortable and not just beautiful. 

Because no one wants to have beautiful shoes in their wardrobe. We always advise thinking about comfort and function first, because after all, you want to dance all night. We do have a brand that is beautiful as well as comfortable - Tangolera