She doesn't like destroying the heel tips? I have suede-covered heel protectors on my Latin shoes because I'd be replacing the tips constantly otherwise. They only give you one spare set with the brand I buy. I don't even dance all that hard or that many hours/week. Any pro who wears them out like I do would be constantly going through them.
Some latin dancers I know also prefer the texture of the heel protector, which usually is a softer, slightly tackier plastic. The heel tips on the shoes sometimes are made of hard plastic, which can slide around a bit. For what it's worth, I used to wear heel protectors, then switched to glueing suede on the heel tip itself, but then stopped altogether when I realized by the time I changed shoes the original heel tip was still in fairly good shape.
I used to dance in Dance Naturals for latin and the model i was in has a rubbery tip heel. Now that i've switched to Ray Rose Kalaharis (they fit great) but their heel tip is that awful plastic that skates around. I hate the look of heel protectors in Latin but I even MORE hate that skating feeling. I always wonder if maybe if my technique was better, i wouldn't have that feeling.... ? At least for right now i just put the heel covers on. For me i never seem to wear out the heel tip in Latin (before i destroy the shoe at least....or my dog gets to it first) but it's more that i like the stickier feeling it gives the heel. I've had a shoe maker change the tip to something more rubbery before on a different random pair of shoes so i might go that route for latin. In standard, i wear through heel protectors fairly quickly :-/
Miss Silly, I know one lady who has a cobbler change the plastic heel tips to rubber heel tips on her latins. She likes the grip better (and lack of sound) with the softer rubber. The glueing the suede on the bottoms also works but it's hard to get them to stay on over long periods of time. If my shoes would last longer than 6-8 weeks, I would go ahead and pay to have the rubber tips put on. But since they don't, it's not worth the extra expenditure. I do not slip around on my original heel tips on my RR shoes. I don't like the sound as they hit the floor at times (and yes, I should be controlling that a bit better), but I don't slip.
I started adding heel tips to my shoes in the last few months. I have no good reason why... but I feel I dance better with them on.
I can make my shoes last a long time, and I don't have a problem with SLIPPING on the tips, I just find the plastic ones Supadance uses just wear through to the nail practically overnight. I don't even dance that hard and it's a pain.
My main reason to glue suede on the heels are heel turns. I don't wear my heels very much without heel turns, I believe.
I am now the importer for a full line of heel protectors called GALA out of Poland (we currently have 22 styles and sizes with more in production) as well as offering them in colors as well. I am mentioning this not as an advertisement (well, maybe a little promo) but because the popularity is growing. I have a studio I work closely with whose instructors are constantly bringing students in (sometimes during a lesson) to get them installed. One of the reasons is they find students sliding on the heel. These new protectors provide a bit more grip but not so much to cause problem. The amount of height or surface added by wearing them is minimal and it will keep the heel lift (or tip) from wearing fast. The reason for the colors is obvious. Put a black heel protector on a black shoe and it will not show. Put a yellow or tan tip on a flesh color shoe and it shows less. I hope this helps. Anyone who wishes to see them can look for my website and see the samples. They are not all online yet but odds are we have one.
that is why I contracted this new line. The supadance (and freed, and international) sometimes wear in one or two lessons. Our GALA do not. Send me your shoe style and I will send you a couple samples, Jen
