Why is it so hard to find Zumba shoes?!?
Why is it so hard to find shoes for Zumba?!?
My search for good Zumba shoes started over two years ago after I experienced knee pain after Zumba. During Zumba class, I was having so much fun that I didn’t even notice that my usual gym shoes stuck to the studio floor. My knees were taking all kinds of the abuse while my foot was planted on the studio floor and my body twisted and turned and made lateral movements. After Zumba class, my knees ached.
In the beginning, I looked at everything from cross country “waffle” running shoes to wrestling shoes to indoor turf soccer shoes. I even got out my old Capezio athletic dance shoes from dance team performances in college.
Finally, I found Nike Musique IV. They were perfect – from the mesh upper to the sole to the price. Now, Nike Musique are cheerleading shoes with all leather uppers – not to mention, they are too ugly to wear to Zumba class.
I moved on to Nike Huarache. Cool, hip-hop style dance sneakers with a sock like upper and great soles and again, great price. Now, Nike discontinued them. A search for Nike Huarache will bring up hits for men’s soccer shoes.
I am currently using Reebok Zigs for Zumba. They are working… for now. My feet often go numb during class, but at least the ridiculous looking soles can turn on the studio floor, which saves me from knee and hip pain. They are expensive, but I found mine on a clearance rack at TJ Maxx.
I’ve seen everything from Sketchers to Puma to Ryka to Vibram FiveFinger barefoot running shoes to bare feet in my Zumba classes and no one seems really pleased with their Zumba footware. Men seem to have an even bigger struggle than women in finding good Zumba shoes.
Zumba currently sells Z-Kickz and Z Tops are coming out in November 2011. Buying shoes for Zumba from Zumba will cost you $75 to $95 USD.
Finding the right shoes for Zumba has been a struggle for me since I started teaching Zumba classes to years ago. What shoes are you wearing for Zumba right now? Would you (do you) recommend them to others?
Filed under Zumba | Tags: athletic dance, athletic dance shoes, bare, barefoot, capezio, cheerleader, cross country, dance team, feet, foot, good zumba shoes, gym shoes, huarache, hurache, IV, knee pain, knee pain and zumba, knees, musique, Nike, Puma, reebok, ryka, shape-ups, shapeups, shoes, sketchers, soccer, studio floor, turf, Vibram, waffle, wrestling, z tops, z-kickz, zigs, Zumba, Zumba shoes | Comment (0)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 or check out my “Recently Written” posts about Zumba shoes to the right 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.
Filed under exercise, group fitness | Tags: athletic shoes, Dance, dance shoes, group fitness, gym shoes, injury, shoe, shoes, sticky, tennis shoes, workout, Zumba | Comments (6)