I have been a dancer for 5 years and yet I still have trouble breaking in my dancing shoes. The shoes are soooo hard to break in because the sole is sometimes really thick and so is the leather on the shoe. What I had to do is to keep bending the shoe in different places until finally the shoe gave way. The hardest thing for a boy to do in a dance sometimes may seem to be his clicks, that's why I suggestion when you get your dance shoes. If they have one of those heels that are wooden, get it replaced with an extended heel so you don't miss your clicks.

Here are a few ideas about what most boys are doing in competition now for there reel shoes

They are buying the really soft shoes from Capezio which are very easy to dance in. You can move around the floor freely with ease.

www.capeziodance.com

Also Many boys have now found out that ballroom shoes that are made of the soft leather in ghillies are great to wear. All you do is simply get a heel that is big enough for you to do your clicks in. You can do this by phoning the cobbler in Scotland and you will get a cheap quoted price. Once you have the price post of the shoes to him and you will have your shoes back within about 3-4 days depending on the postage.

What you should do although it is very expensive is buy the soft soul Antonio Pacelli reel shoes to dance in, in class. You should buy a pair of capezio's for feis'n so that you get your point and arch on stage and they will last a lot longer.

The Cobbler 

Have your shoes repaired, or new tips or heels fitted (choice of tips and heels with different lengths), by Gerard Fleming (by post) Call (0)141 424 3461 or e-mail Rapid Shoe Repairs Scotland UK

One more thing I suggest is that you make sure you soften the leather off the hard leathered shoes by putting dubbing on them and some say put them of the kettle.... isn't a good idea because it cracks the sole and splits the sole. Please remember that you must make sure you don't dance on the side of your arch or you will wear the sole down and dance with your ankles in a dangerous situation.

How They Feel

These dance shoes are very uncomfortable sometimes , much so depending on the type you buy. I hear that Capezio are really comfy.  I have Antonio Pacelli which seem to be very uncomfortable for me. They stretch easily and then don't go back to the form , then they are floppy and loss on your feet (this is where elastic comes in). When you go n your toes they also tend to slip of the back of your heels. These type of shoes really need to be securely fitted to your feet.

Taking Care Of Them

These are very easy to take care off. Make sure you don't dance your heavy's in these if you know what I mean because when you dance your heavy dances in them the toe will tend to turn up. Also make sure you polish them from time to time as this makes the shoes thicker and stops them from getting scratched and going out of shape.