We continue to explore the complex world of tango shoes, telling you everything you need to know in order to get those shoes that will turn you into the king of the milonga.

Materials, long shoe-life vs. comfort

As a rule, the more comfortable shoes are the least they will last. This is an important element to take into account, because if we want long lasting shoes, we will probably get shoes that are hard and with little flexibility, while if we don’t take proper care of a pair of comfortable shoes, it will last about the same time it took you to read this article.
That’s why we need to have a clear idea of what we expect from a pair of shoes, and how frequently we will change them.

Height of the heel

This is probably more important for the girls than for the boys. The average height of a tango shoe heel is between 8 to 10 centimeters. Heels are part of the tango walking elegance, and they make any leg look good, but beware girls, if you are taller than 1,80 cm, you will have to go to a basketball match in order to get a dance partner (at least in the River Plate area). As for men the highest heel you will put on (if you are straight and unwilling to try “new stuff”) will be just 5 cm, no stress at all, but you should be careful about the weight balance of the shoe.

Another tip for girls: open vs. closed shoe

Tango shoes used to come closed in the front part, but recently sandal like shoes have showed up, and they are more comfortable because they offer more freedom to the toes. They are the favorite choice of young dancer, but they have the drawback that feet are exposed (against our and others heels) and if the shoes are too loose you can feel insecure.

To choose good dancing shoes goes beyond just choosing nice-looking shoes. You must take into consideration that you will spend many nights using them, you will dance for hours, therefore it´s ok if shoes are a pleasure to the sight but they should also be a pleasure for the feet.