• These are a very cute dance shoe version of the classic sports sneaker so popular in the 20th century.
• They have a suede bottom sole.
• The comfy insoles are very thick, molded, and removable. If you wear orthotics you may be very happy with how roomy these are when you remove the insoles.
• Light, comfortable, and cute. The rubber foxing is sewn to the upper.
• Not only do they look adorable with a skirt - these are perfect for dancers of all skill levels.
• Aris Allen is known for making vintage style swing dance shoes and reproduction models that are more authentic equipment for dancing swing than ordinary ballroom shoes are. Their philosophy being that your dancing will look more authentic if you wear the same style of shoes the inventors of the dance were wearing.
• Item #: 425-RD

SPECS:

• The footbed is removable so you can add your own or wear them with orthotics.
• Sneakers are the most comfortable thing you can dance in - but rubber bottom shoes will eventually harm your knees. The answer? Suede or leather soles.

SIZING TIPS:
(Our returns show we are right about 95% of the time - these are one of our least returned styles)

Need measurements? Check our Insole Measurement Chart in the photos on this page. It will show you the inside length and width of each size.

When we tried these on 40 different women's feet:
- Narrow width feet: were ok with the fit
- Medium width feet: happy
- Wide width feet: not happy (but see below about replacing the very thick insoles)

• Our test group said that these fit pretty true to size - so if you fit in between two sizes, it's best to go with the one you purchase the most.
• In case it helps:
  - When asked, women who said, for instance, "I almost always wear an 8, but sometimes a 7.5", found that they were happiest with the size 8.
  - Women who said "I almost always wear a 7.5, but sometimes an 8" were happiest with the 7.5.
• These are average width - only women with very wide feet did not like the width. We have heard from several women with wide feet that they took the ultra-thick insoles out and replaced them with ultra-thin insoles which apparently makes them much roomier.

ABOUT SUEDE SOLES:

• All dancers know that suede soles are wonderful to dance on but require occasional upkeep (it's usually a problem with catching the edge on a piece of hardwood that is sticking up on the dance floor).
• If you need to re-glue the suede many people just use crazy glue gel. We have also found that commercially produced shoe repair glue (available from the shoe repair shop in your local mall) works great.
• You're not supposed to wear suede soles outside - but every swing dancer wants “fast” soles. Suede soles can be made much “faster” if you wear them everywhere to get them dirty, even walk in the rain a little - let them dry, then dance in them until they're shiny on the bottom. But: never think you can wear them in the rain just before a dance. Bad idea.
• If you prefer them less zippy you can dull the "mirror finish" they can get by roughing them up with a wire brush periodically. And if the dance floor is super slippery a good trick is to just spill your drink on the floor and step in it!