Want Z1 Zumba Shoes from Zumba Fitness? Get Them While You Can!
I’m a Zumba and Zumba Gold instructor and I had the same pair of Zumba shoes for a year. At first, I was only wearing my Zumba shoes for about one hour per day, two or three times a week, and they were holding up just fine. As luck would have it, I started getting more and more classes at more and more facilities and soon I was teaching two or three times per day, four days a week! As awesome as it was, my Zumba shoes broke down quickly. I was having foot, ankle, and shin pain during and after Zumba class. It was obvious I needed a new pair of Zumba shoes and I needed them fast.
I had been wanting the new Z1 Zumba sneakers from Zumba Fitness so I went to the Zumba shop to order a pair. I searched and searched, but they were not there – the Z1 Zumba sneakers were temporarily unavailable! I needed new shoes badly, but I decided to wait a week.
A week later, I checked the Zumba shop again. No Z1 Zumba sneakers! I couldn’t wait any longer and I decided to replace my Nike Musique IV with the exact same pair.
I just checkd back and the Z1 Zumba sneaker is now available at Zumba.com.
The moral of the story: If you are thinking about trying out the Z1 Zumba sneakers from Zumba.com, do it while you can! They are insanely popular. If they are temporarily unavailable, check back regularly because they might come and go from the Zumba shop as they are in stock. Hopefully, this means new styles and colors will be available soon.
Good luck!
What Are Zumba Shoes?
One of my Zumba participants walked into Lady Foot Locker and asked for Zumba shoes. The LFL sales team looked confused and responded, “What are Zumba shoes?”
How embarrassing! Someone is willing to walking into an athletic shoe store and drop $60 to $110 USD on a pair of dance shoes and the sales team at a store like Lady Foot Locker doesn’t even know what Zumba is?
In an athletics store, you are most likely looking for Nike Musique athletic dance shoes. Ryka also makes a couple of styles of athletic dance sneaker, Ryka Studio D and Ryka Sync, and from what I’ve seen, they are similar to the Nike Musique. This type of shoe is used by cheer and dance teams at the high school and college levels so they are somewhat easy to find. They are attractive athletic shoes, but obviously not built for most sports. You’ll find them on the edge of the athletic shoe section, not mixed in with the running shoes. Because they are not common, they are also easy to find on the clearance rack if you are a bargain hunter.
There is also currently a Nike shoe called Nike Huarache. It is more of a hip hop dance shoe so you might find it mixed in with the street wear.
If you have access to a dance studio or dance supply store, look for Capezio or Bloch athletic dance sneakers. These sneakers are also worn by dance teams and instructors so they are easy to find. Capezio and Bloch sneakers usually have a split sole which allows more foot flexibility during dance training and performances. To me, the split sole takes away some of the stability of these athletic dance shoes. The split sole is why I personally chose NOT to wear them for Zumba – I need stability and support. However, I do know plenty of people who DO wear them for Zumba.
In stores, you will pay about $30 USD for Zumba shoes on the clearance rack. Full price, Zumba shoes will cost $60-$110 USD. Online, you have more options and better prices. You will find Nike Musique and Huarache and Ryka Studio D and Sync online. Discount dance supply stores sell Capezio and Bloch athletic dance sneakers online.
I hate to order shoes online, but I like online shoe store prices so I use a little trick. I go find the shoes I want in a shoe store, try them on, and make note of the size, style, and color. Then I go home and order the same shoes online. It take a little more time, but I think it’s worth it.
If you have a favorite brand or style of shoe that you use for Zumba, I would love to hear it!
Filed under Zumba, exercise, group fitness | Tags: aerobic, aerobics, athletic shoes, bloch, capezio, Dance, dance shoes, Fitness, group, group fitness, group fitness instructor, huarache, instructor, musique, Nike, nike huarache, nike musique, Nike shoes, ryka, shoes, studio d, sync, what are zumba shoes, Zumba, zumba gold, zumba instructor, zumba music, Zumba shoes | Comment (0)Cool Zumba Shoes
I want these awesome athletic dance shoes for Zumba! They are only $62.00 on Nike.com, but they don’t have my size!
Does anyone know where I can buy Nike Huarache women’s dance shoes for Zumba other than directly from Nike? I want to find my size!
NEW Zumba Shoes from Zumba Fitness!
They’re finally here! The Z1 Zumba Dance Sneaker from Zumba Fitness!
As far as I can tell, only Zumba Instructor Network (ZIN) members can order these shoes from the Zumbawear shop as of February 20, 2010. Here is a screen shot with the description and details. If you’re not a ZIN member, talk to your favorite Zumba instructor about ordering you a pair of Z1 Zumba Sneakers!
Best Zumba Shoes for Men
Despite being created by a genius man, Beto Perez, Zumba classes are overwhelmingly women. The token males in my Zumba classes are absolutely adored.
That is all I thought about men regarding Zumba until this week when a reader, Dan, posted a comment on my post Where to Buy Dance Shoes. Dan asked:
can you recommend a zumba shoe for men?
What a great question and in fact, yes I can recommend some shoes for men for Zumba!
One of the most well-known brands of dance shoe is Capezio. My college dance team used Capezio dance sneakers as part of the team uniform and several of my Zumba regulars where Capezio dance sneakers to class.
Capezio offers several varieties of men’s and unisex athletic dance shoes for men that would no doubt work well for men doing Zumba. My personal favorites are the Capezio Rockit and the Capezio Toggle. The main difference is that Capezio Rockit has laces and the Capezio Toggle doesn’t. Reviews for both models are excellent and some reviews actually list Zumba as the main reason the person bought the shoe. Online shoe stores like Zappos and Discount Dance Supply carry Capezio dance sneakers in men’s sizes.
Knee Pain During Zumba
I heard one of my Zumba class regulars who disappeared recently has quit doing Zumba because of knee pain. This is not the first Zumba knee pain complaint I’ve heard. Why do people’s knees hurt from Zumba?
As I mentioned in my past Rencsi.com post Sticky Shoes During Zumba, most athletic shoes are designed for forward movement only. Running shoes and walking shoes have heavy traction and robust soles to resist sliding and turning and this is exactly what runners and walkers need. This is not what we want in Zumba class.
Zumba incorporates the twisting, turning, and sliding movements of Latin dance. While the body is moving, the heavy traction of popular athletic shoes causes the Zumba dancer to stick to the studio floor. The foot stays put and the leg, knee, and hip twist, turn, and slide.
Think of a basic Cuban salsa move – you step to the side, shift your weight to that foot, shift your weight to the other foot, and bring your feet together and repeat and repeat and repeat. The thick, wide soles of most athletic shoes are designed to prevent the lateral movement of salsa, one of the basic dances in a Zumba class.
It’s no wonder some exercisers experience knee pain from Zumba!
The good news is knee pain does not have to end your Zumba workout. There are many styles of athletic dance shoes available that will allow you to turn and slide freely. Here are some articles to help you find the best shoes to wear during Zumba. Enjoy!
Zumba FAQ – What are the best shoes to wear in a Zumba Class?
Filed under Zumba, exercise, group fitness, interests | Tags: aerobic, aerobics, athletic shoes, Dance, dance shoes, Fitness, group fitness, shoes, Zumba, zumba gold, zumba instructor, Zumba shoes | Comment (1)Zumba Faq – What are the best shoes to wear in a Zumba class?
Straight from the horse’s mouth: What does Zumba Fitness have to say about finding the best Zumba shoes?
What are the best shoes to wear in a Zumba class?
Zumba Fitness recommends that you wear “cross training” or “aerobic” style shoes. They provide the cushion and medial lateral support needed for side-to-side movements. They also have low traction rubber for easy sliding and turning. Please be careful with “running shoes” since they use a heavy tread on the bottom and are designed for forward movement.
Click here to read more Zumba Faq’s.
Filed under Zumba, exercise, group fitness | Tags: athletic shoes, Dance, dance shoes, group fitness, shoes, Zumba, zumba gold, zumba instructor, Zumba shoes | Comment (1)Coming Soon: Z1 Zumba Shoes
According to today’s Zumba Instructor Network (ZIN) newsletter, Zumba will be introducing its own Z1 Zumba dance shoe in December 2009.
According to the Zumba ZIN newsletter:
THE ZUMBA® SHOE IS COMING!
It was the convention’s ultimate sneak(er) preview — the all-new Zumba shoe called “Z1″! Yes, they were for sale at the convention. And yes, they will be stepping out into limelight of the ZIN Shop page in December. Holiday shopping anyone? Everyone at the convention was talking about the snazzy black-and-white sneaks. And all agreed that the logos on the bottom were beyond cool.
Keep a eye on the Zumbawear shop or talk to your favorite Zumba instructor about which athletic dance shoes are best for Zumba.
Filed under Zumba, exercise, group fitness | Tags: athletic dance shoes, athletic shoes, Dance, dance shoes, shoes, Zumba, zumba clothes, zumba instructor, Zumba shoes, zumba wear, zumbawear | Comment (0)Where to Buy Dance Shoes
I did it. I broke down and bought a pair of Nike Musique IV dance shoes for Zumba.
There are a wide variety of dance shoes available online, but I had been hesitating about making a purchase. I personally don’t like to buy shoes online for several reasons:
1. I like to try shoes on.
2. I don’t like to pay for shipping.
3. I’m afraid I won’t get around to making returns.
4. I rent an apartment, which can make receiving shipments difficult.
So last week, when I found a pair of Nike Musique IV dance shoes on a clearance rack at Famous Footware, I decided it was time to buy. The pair of dance shoes I found are metallic grey and cool blue – a little more flashy than I would like, but you get what you pay for. I paid $40, which is about a 30% discount off the $60 regular price.
My advice for those of us who are not online bargain hunters, watch for dance shoes on clearance racks at stores like Famous Footware, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, or regular sporting goods stores. They are out there and you will find them, sooner or later…
Also see my “Sticky Shoes During Zumba” and “Best Zumba Shoes” and “Good Dance Shoes for Zumba” posts.
Good Dance Shoes for Zumba
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I wear 4-year-old Nike Shox that are in good condition to Zumba. My new running shoes have too much traction for Zumba class and the soles are too big and bulky – I kick myself. My old Nike Shox are lighter, but the footprint is still large and cumbersome. I know that others in my Zumba classes are struggling to find the right Zumba shoes because class often sounds like a basketball court – full of squeaks as their Zumba shoes stick to the dance floor.
Tonight, I participated in a Zumba Master Class with Tony Witt, nationally acclaimed Zumba instructor. For the occasion, I pulled out my old pair of Nike Zoom Waffle running shoes. I think I may be on to something…
I was originally introduced to Nike Zoom Waffles in high school cross country. I trained in standard Nike runners, but raced in Waffles. Cross country shoes are like track and field shoes, without the spikes.
I loved my Nike Zoom Waffle running shoes so much, I also wore them as dance shoes during high school pom and dance team practice. They were attractive, light, flexible, and low profile – perfect for dancing.
When my first pair of Nike Zoom Waffle running (and dancing) shoes broke down, I bought a new pair. I quickly found out that new Nike Zoom Waffle running shoes had far too much traction for dance. I had worn my previous pair enough to wear down some of the traction on the ball of the foot – all this new shoe-traction made turns very difficult. I wore the new shoes daily to get rid of traction for practice for my university dance team. Practice was held on a rubber gym floor, which made turns difficult enough.
The pair of Nike Zoom Waffle cross country running shoes I wore tonight as dance shoes are the same shoes I wore to dance practice in college several years ago. The ball of the sole is worn nice and smooth.
My conclusion is that Nike Zoom Waffle cross country running shoes work well as a aerobic dance shoe – AFTER you break them in and wear down some of the traction on the sole. Cross country shoes are a relatively inexpensive athletic shoe – especially if you can buy youth or boys’ sizes. Avoid track and field shoes, which are very similar, but have spikes.
Of course, there are athletic shoes designed especially for dance. Look for a circle or concentric circles on the ball of the foot of the sole of the shoe to identify atheltic dance shoes. Also see my “Best Zumba Shoes” and “Sticky Shoes During Zumba” and “Where to Buy Dance Shoes” posts at Rencsi.com for more information.
