Character shoes for dance are a must have for serious dancers. Whether you tap across the stage, or just dance for fun with your partner, having character shoes will allow you to glide more gracefully and in comfort and style. Here are some more interesting tidbits about character shoes.
Sandals are probably the earliest type of footwear. Based on archaeological and paleoanthropological evidence, the earliest protective coverings for the human foot appeared to start during the Middle Paleolithic period of approximately 40,000 years ago. Originally invented to protect the feet, shoes are more than just a necessity today. As we enjoy the benefits of various products of technology in the 20th century, the shoes experienced dramatic changes and evolution too just the like rest in history
Shoes have become a major part of our everyday attire. With varied colors, sizes, textures and styles, the wearing of shoes depends on the type of weather, occasions, personalities and professions. For performers all over the world, they say that “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a nice pair of shoes.” Theatre actors, ballerinas, tap dancers, acrobats, and cultural performers for sure own a fine pair of character shoes which accompanied them to their success. So the next time you watch your favorite performer on stage, at least try to give credit to the shoes they are wearing.
Here’s a list of interesting facts about character shoes for dance that you probably didn’t know:
•Michael Jackson, the king of pop himself, patented a special shoe which gave him the appearance of defying the normal laws of physics. Patented on October 26, 1993, the shoe was designed with a special heel slot which simply allowed the dancers’ foot to move forward giving the viewers the illusion of a gravity defying performance. The shoe is simply called “Smooth Criminal.” Leaning shoes are undeniably still one of the most talked about character shoes for dance until today.
• Women began to dance ballet in 1681, at that time ballerina shoes or the pointe shoes had heels. Marie Camargo of the Paris Opéra Ballett was the first ballerina who wore a non-heeled shoe giving her the opportunity to perform leaps which could have been impossible during that time.
•James Devine is the world’s fastest tap dancer with the astonishing record of 38 taps per second. An accomplished performer at the young age of 14, James won The Grand Slam of Irish dance by winning all four major international dance championships – World, US, British, and All-Ireland titles in the same year. His key to success is no other than a perfectly fit character tap shoes.
•Considered to be the greatest flamenco dancer of all time, Carmen Amaya began dancing and performing on the streets of Barcelona together with her father. She never had any formal study on dance or song but her passion on dancing together with a personalized flamenco shoes designed by a dear friend.
•Vans, Nike, Adidas, Puma and Rebook are the top brands of sneakers which are commonly used by break dancers all over the world. They are characterized by great comfort, light weight, flexibility features and tasteful designs.
•Bad Romance became one of the most watched video over the internet. Lady Gaga never failed her fans and critics with her bold and controversial fashion statements. In the music video, she wore the infamous 12-inch Monster shoes aka the Armadillo heels which are sky-high, chunky heels designed by the late iconic designer Alexander McQueen.
For the youngsters out there who are planning to land a successful dance career, start investing on a great pair of shoes because great character shoes bring great performances. So bring it on!
