YOUR GUIDE TO BUYING THE RIGHT DANCE SHOE

Latin and Ballroom Shoes

Most dance shoes will come with a suede sole so you can feel the floor and will have a heel to help with your weight placement. The height of the heel changes depending on the dance.. In latin dances, your body weight needs to be over your toes. A higher heel helps with that. In smooth/ballroom dances, you are leaning back and you must take large steps with your heel first. A lower heel is more stable. and helps with that. 

If you are on a budget, there is enough overlap within the women's shoe guidelines to pick a shoe that works for both dances. The men must choose, but typically can get away with a lower heel for latin dances.

The basic guidelines for heel heights are:

Women's Smooth/Standard shoes (used for dances like waltz, tango, and foxtrot) have a heel that is 1.5" to 2.5".
Women's Latin/Rhythm shoes (used for dances like rumba, cha cha, salsa, etc.) have a heel that is 2" to 3.5" tall.

Men's Smooth/Standard shoes (used for dances like waltz, tango, and foxtrot) have a block heel of 0.5" to 1" tall. 
Men's Latin/Rhythm shoes (used for dances like rumba, cha cha, salsa, etc.) have a block heel that is 1.5" to 2" tall.

Suede-bottom shoes are for indoor wear only and are not designed to be worn outdoors.

Country Dance Shoes

For the country dances you are, of course, looking for cowboy boots. Avoid boots with a lot of grip or deep treads. These will make it hard to turn and put a lot of pressure on your joints. Look for boots with a smooth bottom if you want an indoor/outdoor boot that is good for dancing. Look for boots with a suede bottom for a dance-specific boot.