The Zumba studio in my city is holding its first-ever master class on Friday night to celebrate their grand opening: Zstudio – Duluth, Minnesota, USA

Other studios dedicated to Zumba Fitness classes have opened in Stillwater, Minnesota and Mason City, Iowa.

Do you own or go to a dedicated Zumba studio in your area? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and share a link to your Zumba studio!

Pros:
Reebok ZIGS do not stick to studio floors. This is important because when your shoe sticks to the floor, your foot stays in one place while your ankle, knee, and hip twist and turn. I believe finding an athletic dance shoe that does not stick to the floor is the most important thing to look for in order to avoid joint pain after Zumba classes. Reebok ZIGS allow plenty of movement in all directions for Zumba classes, including turning, sliding, and gliding.

Reebok ZIGS provide adequate support. These are sturdy, robust athletic shoes that will absorb shock from high-impact moves during Zumba.

Reebok ZIGS are available in mens’ sizes for the handful of *wonderful* men who participate and instruct Zumba classes.

Reebok ZIGS are available online or in stores worldwide.

Cons:
Reebok ZIGS are ugly and attract a lot of attention. I picked up a pair of grey and pink Reebok ZIGS because they were my only option at TJ Maxx. They are so dark and clunky, I feel like I look like I’m wearing army boots to Zumba. I’m embarrassed to wear them outside of the studio, so I change my shoes immediately before and after Zumba class.

Reebok ZIGS are expensive. I found a pair at TJ Maxx for $35 USD. These shoes cost about $100 full price. That is too much for Zumba shoes in my opinion. I would not have bought a pair if I hadn’t find them on sale at discount store.

In summary, if you can afford to buy a pair of Reebok ZIGS for Zumba and don’t mind the way they look, go for it. The sole is what is needed for Zumba on studio floors. For now, Reebok ZIGS are my Zumba shoe of choice. As always, if you use Reebok ZIGS for Zumba, let me know what you think!

According to the Zumba Fitness Shop:

Hey guys, this one’s for you — the all-new Z1 Sneakers for men! Athletic, sturdy, rugged and funky-cool to boot, these sneakers are built for optimum performance both in and out of Zumba® class. Constructed with a molded footbed and TPU for maximum support, and an ultra-breathable upper and midsole for total comfort, the new Z1 sneakers for him also have extra-tough pivot points to slide and grip on cue. With extra colored shoelaces, pair ‘em up with your favorite Zumbawear™ get-up and you’ll be ready to kick it into high gear!

The Z1 Zumba sneaker for men has mixed reviews, but if you’ve been searching for the right shoe, it might be worth the $75 to give them a try!

Why Nike? Why do you continue to discontinue the best athletic dance shoes for Zumba?

First to disappear was the Nike Musique IV with mesh uppers. The Nike Musique athletic dance shoes that continue to exist consist of stiff, leather uppers that look like silly cheerleader shoes. No thank you.

The last pair of shoes I bought for Zumba were Nike Huarache. I bought them in March and after just 3 months of use, I noticed both shoes already had small holes in the fabric on top of my foot near my little toes. Time to buy another pair, right? Wrong!

It appears Nike Huarache athletic dance shoes are no longer available.

And so again, I am searching for the best shoes for Zumba.

I thought the pain was unusual so I took some ibuprofen, did some extra calf stretches, and ran my foot over a wooden foot massager. Nothing seemed to help my foot pain, but I thought I must have stepped on it wrong and that the pain would go away soon enough.

About two weeks later, my foot felt significantly worse and when I woke up one morning, the top of my forefoot was red, hot, and swollen. According to the the Mayo Clinic website, I had symptoms of metatarsalgia :

Symptoms of metatarsalgia may include:

• Sharp, aching or burning pain in the ball of your foot — the part of the sole just behind your toes
• Pain in the area around your second, third or fourth toes — or, only near your big toe
• Pain that gets worse when you stand, walk or run and improves when you rest
• Sharp or shooting pain in your toes
• Numbness or tingling in your toes
• Pain that worsens when you flex your feet
• A feeling in your feet as if you’re walking with a pebble in your shoe
• Increased pain when you’re walking barefoot, especially on a hard surface

Sometimes these symptoms develop suddenly — especially if you’ve recently increased your usual amount of running, jumping or other high-impact exercise — but problems usually develop over time.

When to see a doctor
Not all foot problems need medical care. Sometimes your feet simply ache after a long day of standing or a punishing workout. But it’s best not to ignore any foot pain that lasts more than a few days. Talk to your doctor if you experience a burning pain in the ball of your foot that doesn’t improve after changing your shoes and modifying your activities.

I was pleased to see that Mayo Clinic did not recommend seeing a doctor based on my symptoms, because as a self-employed individual / part-time employee of many companies, I cannot afford medical insurance at this time. I found subs for my Zumba classes and practiced the R.I.C.E. acute injury treatment method for the weekend. My foot felt a little better by Monday.

After a couple of days of high-impact Zumba classes, my foot was swollen again. Luckily, a holiday was coming up and I got the stomach flu so I was able (and forced) to clear my schedule and take nearly a whole week off from exercise. During that time, I continued to use the R.I.C.E. method daily to treat my foot pain. Upon returning to exercise, I wrapped my sore foot and wore supportive, shock-absorbing Nike cross trainers for Zumba instead of my usual Nike Musique athletic dance shoes for Zumba. After 8 weeks of foot wrap and cross trainers, my foot pain is gone.

My experience with foot pain is one of many reasons why I believe proper footwear is important for Zumba. I have changed my Zumba footwear from Nike Musique IV athletic dance shoes to Nike Huarache athletic dance shoes. While I feel the Nike Musique IV shoes have more support and cushion in the heel of the shoe, Nike Huarache shoes have more support and cushion in the ball of the foot, which is where I need it most.

Ryka Transition
I think the best things about Ryka Transition studio shoes are the flexible meshy upper and the fun, colorful sole.

Ryka Studio D
I think Ryka Studio D shoes look a little 80’s… or should I say retro?

Nike Musique
I have seen Nike Musique III, IV, VI, VII available, but my first four pairs of Zumba shoes were Nike Musique IV. I really liked the Nike Musique IV because the shoe was leather and mesh. Athletic dance shoes fit very tight. For me, the tightness was uncomfortable at first, but I found the mesh in Nike Musique IV shoes molded to my foot, and eventually the shoes fit like a glove.

I bought my first pair of Nike Musique IV on clearance at a Famous Footwear. I bought all my other pairs of Nike Musique IV from Zappos. Nike Musique can cost anywhere from $30 to $65.

The heel of Nike Musique is very well-cushioned. The ball and forefoot of the Nike Musique is not very well-cushioned. I am not a doctor, but if you are going to do a lot of Zumba or a lot of high impact Zumba, I recommend metatarsal pads for your Nike Musique.

Nike Hurache
Lately, all models of Nike Musique athletic dance shoes are getting harder to find. I have been unable to find the model with leather and mesh so this time, I bought Nike Huarache dance shoes.

Nike Huarache shoes are very different than Nike Musique shoes. Online, I thought these shoes looked bulky like a street/skater shoe, but Nike Huarache are not at all bulky. The sole is narrow, like Nike Musique, and has the tell-tale circle for easier turns. The shoe upper is mostly a sleek fabric, like a water shoe. The laces are almost unnecessary because these shoes fit like a sock. They are tight and I find them very supportive.

I bought my Nike Huarache from Zappos for $65.

Unlike Nike Musique, the ball and forefoot are well-cushion in the Nike Huarache, but the heel is not well-cushioned. I find the heel very narrow and the soft upper allows a lot of movement during Zumba moves like a heel tap. Only time will tell if the Nike Huarache will be as successful as the Nike Musique for Zumba.

Club Can’t Handle Me (Pop / Warm Up)
Flo Rida
Choreography by Rencsi

Pam Pam (Latin Hip Hop / Warm Up)
Wisin Y Yandal
Choreography by Rencsi

Mundian Du Bach Ke (Bhangra)
Panjabi MC
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by Zumba Fitness with Bradley

Mil Horas (Cumbia)
Zumba ZIN 27
Choreography by Zumba Fitness

Waka Waka (Latin Pop)
Shakira
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by Shakira

Danca Da Maozinha (Axe)
Zumba ZIN 27
Choreography by Zumba Fitness

El Baile Del Pescao (Reggaeton)
Zumba ZIN 27
Choreography by Zumba Fitness

Kalinka (Russian Folk / Pop)
Yamboo
Choreography by Rencsi

Lean Like a Cholo (Zumba Toning / Latin Hip Hop)
Down AKA Kilo
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by this YouTube video

Te Extrano (Bachata)
X-Treme
Choreography by Rencsi

Calabria (Latin Hip Hop)
Enur Featuring Natashja
Choreography by Rencsi

Dance the Night Away (Salsa)
The Mavericks
Choreography by Rencsi

Vida Loca (Pop Ballad / Cool Down)
Zumba Fitness ZIN Mega Mix 19
Choreography by Rencsi

As I’ve mentioned before, I try to add one or two new songs each week. That doesn’t always happen, but if I can’t add a new song, I bring back songs we haven’t done in awhile to keep things fresh. I try to have two playlists going at any given time so if participants can make it to class multiple times per week, I can mix it up for them.

Enjoy!

La Bamba (Latin Hip Hop / Warm Up)
Wyclef Jean
Choreography by Rencsi

Disturbia (Pop / Warm Up)
Rihanna
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by Zumba with Renee

Pam Pam (Latin Hip Hop / Warm Up)
Wisin Y Yandal
Choreography by Rencsi

Mundian Du Bach Ke (Bhangra)
Panjabi MC
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by Zumba Fitness with Bradley

Hot Hot Hot (Merengue)
Buster Poindexter
Choreography by Rencsi

Mil Horas (Cumbia)
Zumba ZIN 27
Choreography by Zumba Fitness

Waka Waka (Latin Pop)
Shakira
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by Shakira

Danca Da Maozinha (Axe)
Zumba ZIN 27
Choreography by Zumba Fitness

El Baile Del Pescao (Reggaeton)
Zumba ZIN 27
Choreography by Zumba Fitness

Kalinka (Russian Folk / Pop)
Yamboo
Choreography by Rencsi

Papa Loves Mambo (Mambo)
Bing Crosby
Choreography by Rencsi

Lean Like a Cholo (Zumba Toning / Latin Hip Hop)
Down AKA Kilo
Choreography by Rencsi, Inspired by this YouTube video

Te Extrano (Bachata)
X-Treme
Choreography by Rencsi

Rain Dance (African Rhythms / Hip Hop)
The Very Best Featuring M.I.A
Choreography by Rencsi

Body Language (Pop / Cool Down)
Jesse McCartney
Choreography by Rencsi

This month’s edition of the Zumba Instructor Network (ZIN) Z Life magazine features an ad from Slip-On Dancers. Slip-Ons appear to be a narrow band of fabric that wraps around the toe of your gym shoes. This band of fabric allows you to twist and turn, yet still grip the floor, without buying new shoes for Zumba. There is also a wider band for those people who must to do Zumba on carpet. (How unfortunate!)

I have not seen or tried this product, but they are about 1/4 of the price of Nike Musique athletic dance shoes. It might be worth a try before you invest in the real thing.

If anyone has tried Slip-On Dancers, please let us know what you think!