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?

Do I need Zumba shoes?

Coming Soon: Z1 Zumba Shoes

Where to Buy Dance Shoes

Good Dance Shoes for Zumba

Best Zumba Shoes

Sticky Shoes During Zumba

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.

Do I Need Zumba Shoes?

Do you need athletic dance or Zumba shoes to participate Zumba?

Technically, no. Special shoes (other than athletic shoes of some sort) are not required to do Zumba. However, if you plan to attend Zumba classes regularly, you will be most comfortable in athletic shoes designed for dance.

I hear people in my Zumba class say that their shoes stick to the floor during Zumba class. The stickiness increases as the temperature, humidity, and Zumba class intensity (and sweaty bodies) increase. Pretty soon these people are forced to modify their Zumba style to accommodate for their sticky shoes during Zumba. The sticky shoes during Zumba can also cause knee pain from the foot staying planted to the floor while the body is twisting and turning.

I recently purchased a pair of Nike Musique IV athletic dance shoes from the clearance rack at Famous Footware and I am very happy with my selection. My shoes cost $30, but I have seen this model of dance shoe cost up to $65 at other shoe stores.

Other Rencsi.com articles about finding the best Zumba shoes for you:

Sticky Shoes During Zumba at Rencsi.com

Good Dance Shoes for Zumba at Rencsi.com

Best Zumba Shoes at Rencsi.com

Where to Buy Dance Shoes at Rencsi.com

Coming Soon: Z1 Zumba Shoes at Rencsi.com

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.

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.

Best Zumba Shoes

While I search for the best shoes for Zumba, I do not recommend turf shoes or wrestling shoes for participating in Zumba or other aerobic dance classes.

One of the main gripes I hear from Zumba enthusiasts is that their regular gym shoes stick to the floor during class. Sticky shoes during Zumba can cause blisters or foot, ankle, or knee pain or injury.

While turf shoes are designed to allow you to comfortably train on a variety of surfaces, they probably still provide too much traction for Zumba or other ballroom or hip hop dance classes. On the bright side, turf shoes do feature a more narrow footprint – more like cross-training shoes and less like running shoes.

A better bet might be a wrestling shoe. While wrestling shoes are light and flexible, most wrestling shoes will only be available in mens’ or boys’ sizes and are only available in a high-top style. Wrestling shoes are not designed for impact and therefore do not provide a lot of arch support or sole cushion.

My recommendation is stick to athletic shoes designed specifically for dance or aerobics. If you’re not sure that a certain style is a dance shoe or aerobics shoe, look for a circle on the sole of the shoe at the ball of the foot. Not all dance shoes or aerobics shoes will have it, but it is a good way to tell if the shoe is going to allow you to turn on the ball of your foot or if you will stick to the floor instead.

If you can’t afford to buy athletic shoes just for Zumba, wear last year’s gym shoes. Be sure the traction on the sole has worn down on the ball of foot, but be sure the shoe can still provide cushion and support.

Also see my “Sticky Shoes During Zumba” and “Good Dance Shoes for Zumba” and “Where to Buy Dance Shoes” posts at Rencsi.com.

Sticky Shoes During Zumba

The most common “complaint” I hear about Zumba is about gym shoes that stick to the floor during class.

Most gym shoes are built for traction. During volleyball, I often wipe the dust off the bottom of my shoes for a better grip. Too much traction in Zumba is not necessarily a good thing…

To some, it is just annoying – you are dancing and moving, but your shoes are sticking to the floor.

To others, it’s painful – you are dancing and your shoes are sticking to the floor and your feet are sliding around inside your shoes. Either way, sticky shoes could cause you to develop blisters and other foot or ankle injuries.

I have three suggestions to prevent sticky shoe syndrome at Zumba class:

1. Pick up your feet. It might not be how you would normally dance and not what you prefer, but if your shoes or feet won’t slide and you are sticking to the floor, pick up your feet to prevent injury.

2. Wear last year’s tennis shoes. Don’t wear your newest pair of gym shoes – wear an older pair. The grips will be worn down slightly and may help you slide across the floor better during Zumba class. I often wear a pair of Nike Shox I’ve owned for about four years to Zumba class.

3. Buy dance shoes. I often wear my Capezio dance shoes from dance team in college. You can buy directly from Capezio or any major shoe manufacturer like Nike. Major shoe stores like Zappos carry athletic dance shoes. Go for an athletic-style dance sneaker to give you the support you need – if you are thinking about your shoes and feet during Zumba class, you won’t be able to concentrate on your workout!

Also see my “Best Zumba Shoes” and “Good Dance Shoes for Zumba” and “Where to Buy Dance Shoes” posts.