Black Tie Event - Shoe Advice Needed

[Tobus]

I think we're talking about two different styles of dance. Do a few swipes in your street shoes, then do the same in your Docs, and tell me which is more comfortable. Try a pin drop next, if you haven't already thrown your clompers in the corner. That girl in the 6" platform shoes? She calls it dancing, I call it Jersey Shore (which takes nothing but makeup) until she's on brass (which requires athleticism, choreography, and practice). The swing weight is totally different, between big soles and everything else.

The leverage is completely different too, and the amount of force you can transfer to your partner increases tremendously with a sticky sole. A girl that really knows how to turn, with a stiff frame and good balance, can make use of it. Most mortals will just end up with sprained limbs and hurt feelings. I've danced with a couple people who can turn like that, but it's not common outside of a couple styles of social dance to have that much spring in a stiff frame, or to move quickly enough to take advantage of it. I suppose a good musical blend would be rockabilly, heavy on the drums and rhythm guitar, turn up the brass, and grow it with punk roots and a fifth of bourbon on the side . So yeah, you can do it...and it's fun...but it's certainly the exception. You got a place with music like that and girls that talented, call me! #$%!, maybe we should start a dancing discussion thread . Ok, I'll concede the point that it's possible to dance in a chunky shoe, but I'll not give up the detrimental leverage on the ankle & knee when a wide sole is in any position but flat on the floor, nor the point that turning is close to impossible on a sticky sole.

Not that this has anything to do with Highland attire or formal attire, but I've seen some really amazing dancers doing western swing in cowboy boots. Yes, they're leather soled for slickness, but they would probably fall in the "chunky" category (especially with the tall heels and the welt extending out past the body of the boot). But they don't seem to be an impediment to these amazing dancers.

I'm not a dancer, though, so aside from "belly-rubbing", anybody that can dance impresses me.

[wildrover]

Not that this has anything to do with Highland attire or formal attire, but I've seen some really amazing dancers doing western swing in cowboy boots. Yes, they're leather soled for slickness, but they would probably fall in the "chunky" category (especially with the tall heels and the welt extending out past the body of the boot). But they don't seem to be an impediment to these amazing dancers.

I dance lindy and blues in what could be called "cowboy boots"...rubber soles, though. They're very comfortable, never had a problem or complaint. Welt...I had to look up the parts of a shoe. Interesting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welt_%28shoe%29
http://chestofbooks.com/reference/Wo...-Of-Shoes.html

Anyhow, the welt is not nearly as pronounced as the one on my Docs, or on a lot of the shoes I've seen that occupy the grey area between kicks and dressup. More so than my dress shoes, but less than a sturdy pair of street clompers, and certainly far less than a pair of work boots.