I have these pair of boots, wondering if the sole is bad for two step/line dancing. It's a sort of a rubber sole. http://www.sheplers.com/Ariat-Rambler-Cowboy-Boots-square-toe/2639.pro Is it time to ditch these boots for something more traditional? I'm having a bit of a hard time dancing in these, but I've only used them once so far.
My favorite shoes for dancing (country western, Argentine Tango) have a traditional leather sole. They turn pretty easy once they have the slightest bit of wear on them, and you can wear them "on the street." I also have a pair of Rockports that have seen better days, and it looks like those boots you have have about the same amount of "tread." Mine are worn enough that I've used them for dancing quite a bit, and they work really well. On the other hand when it's a bit slippery from frost or snow, etc, I have to be really careful in them. Other thing is, there's no way to know how "sticky" that material is on those boots unless you try them out. They don't say much about the soles in that page there. Even if you stick with the "traditional" two step where you don't let the woman go, you're going to pivot a bit on the front of your foot. Hey, I'm all for new materials if they work really well: Patagonia "long Underwear," Polartech, PowerDry, etc. So far though, I'm going to stick with tradtional leather soles for dancing. Hey, Shepler's is where I get all my shirts and jeans. Been buying from them for over 10 years. Wish they had more colors in the long sleeve traditional rancher shirts with the pearl snaps. Let us know what you do and how it turns out.
I agree, leather soles are the way to go, and a suede sole like dance shoes is even better. I've had several shoes, and boots, resoled for dancing by local shoe repair shops, even a pair of New Balance shoes (that is a lot cheaper than buying new shoes). One issue is the heel; dance shoes have suede on the heel, my Evening Star boots have rubber heels. If you inadvertently weight your heel during a pivot or spin it will upset the turn, so I suggest sticking with one type of heel and suede is probably the safest.
What I have found thus far is that dance floors are typically waxed enough so basically any shoes you wear would slide gracefully across the floor. I am trying to use my current cowboy boots (Ariat, yea...i know it's not a "real" cowboy boot) without having to purchase another pair. These have an anti-slip sole and they still slide nicely across the dance floor due to the wax. Of course, I am speaking as a beginner with only about 2 months of dancing experience.
A lot of places will have some sort of a polished floor, and a lot won't. I wear rubber soled ariats and deal with sticking on unpolished floors, but I do a lot of arials and flips with some of my dances and prefer to stick. Most people will be better off in a leather sole, I just have an odd preference.
I'm in Alaska and just now getting back into it, but when I lived in Texas the boot of choice for any cowboy dancing (2-step etc) was Ropers with leather soles and low heels. The floors were hardwood and were sanded (sand on the floors to help those boots sliiiiide). I never saw any waxed/polished floors ...these floors were dedicated to cowboy dancing and 'sand' was the rule. As far as I know, it wasn't beach sand ...it was sort of special sand designed for the purpose and almost invisible on the floor. It would stick to my boots a bit and I kept one pair of Ropers aside just for dancing.
Hello Tanana! Last week here in Portland one teacher who lived in Texas for a while taught "Four Step Swing." Someone who was there said it was same as east coast swing. I tell, ya. Texas is like a different country.
I'm thinking about moving back to Texas... I've been in Alaska for a lotta years now and there's nothing here that I haven't seen or done, several times over. I think it's time to get out of the dark and cold and back to the heat ...Texas fits me and my lifestyle better, honestly.
One of our members, Joy in Motion, lived in Anchorage for I don't know how long. She moved to Portland not too long ago. Me, I lived on the Michigan Upper Peninsula, Northern Wisconsin, Madison, etc, and that was far enough north for me. Hey, the solstice is coming up, and the days will start getting longer soon! (Oh, why did 30 days of Night come to mind? I saw that one in Kathmandu of all places!) Met a gal who knew Rick Archer. who has the qqss web site, and did (does?) lots of teaching down Houston way. She said that she was one of the people who told him it should be qqSS, not SSqq.
