No More Nike Athletic Dance Shoes for Zumba

As a Zumba instructor, I’ve owned many pairs of athletic dance shoes for Zumba. My favorites have always been Nike brand so I have to ask:

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.

Complete Zumba Playlist – January to April 2011

Warm Ups
Asereje – Ketchup (Latin Hip Hop)
Buttons – The Pussycat Dolls (Hip Hop)
Club Can’t Handle Me – Flo Rida (Hip Hop)
Dame Un Tiempo Mas – Zumba Fitness (Cumbia)
Disturbia – Rhianna (Latin Hip Hop)
Don’t Matter – Akon (Latin Hip Hop/Calypso Remix)
Here Comes My Baby – The Mavericks (Salsa)
I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas (Hip Hop)
La Bamba – Los Lobos (Salsa)
La Bamba – Wyclef Jean (Latin Hip Hop/Reggaeton)
La Cucaracha – Kumbia Kings (Latin Hip Hop)
Loba – Shakira (Latin Hip Hop)
Mambo Italiano – Wiseguy Orchestra (Mambo)
Obsesion – Aventura (Bachata)
Pa’ Mayte – Zumba Fitness (Calypso)
Solo Se Vive Una Vez – Zumba Fitness (Salsa)
Telephone – Lady Gaga (Pop)
Zorba – Zumba Fitness (Greek Traditional)

Cool Downs
Angel – Jon Secada (Pop)
Body Language – Jesse McCartney (Pop)
Banana Boat (Da-O) – Harry Belafonte (Calypso)
Drive – Ziggy Marley (Reggae)
Every Breath You Take – UB-40 (Reggae)
In Heaven – Da’Ville (Reggae)
La Isla Bonita – Madonna (Pop)
Love Song – 311 (Reggae)
Maria Maria – Santana Ft. The Product G&B (Pop)
Save the Last Dance for Me – Michael Buble (Cha Cha)
Slave to Love – Elan Atias (Reggae)
Stand By Me – Prince Royce (Bachata)
Take Me Home – Toots & the Maytals (Reggae)
The Tide is High – Blondie (Reggae)
Vida Loca – Zumba Fitness/Francisco Cespedes (Latin Pop)

Interval Workout
African Beats – Zumba Fitness (African Rhythms)
Rain Dance – The Very Best Feat. M.I.A. (African Rhythms)
Waka Waka (Por Estos Aftrica) – Shakira (Latin Hip Hop/African Rhythms)
Te Extrano – Xtreme (Bachata)
Boro Boro – Zumba Fitness (Bhangra)
Chaiyya Chaiyaa – A.R. Rahman (Bollywood)
Kiss Kiss – Zumba Fitness (Bhangra)
Mundian Te Bach Ke – Panjabi MC (Bhangra)
Tigy Tigy – Zumba Fitness (Bhangra/Reggaeton)Baila Pa Emociona – Zumba Fitness (Calypso)
Jump in the Line – Harry Belafonte (Calypso)
I Need to Know – Zumba Fitness (Cha Cha)
Baila Esta Cumbia – Selena (Cumbia)
Cumbia Arabe – Zumba Fitness (Belly Dance/Cumbia)
Gordita – Shakira (Cumbia/Reggaeton)
La Negra Tomasa – DJ Kane (Cumbia)
Mil Horas – Zumba Fitness (Cumbia)
Muevelo – Los Super Reyes (Cumbia)
Calabria – Rune – (Latin Hip Hop)
Do It To It – Cherish (Hip Hop ABS)
Evacuate the Dance Floor – Cascada (Pop)
Krazy – Pitbull Feat. Lil Jon (Latin Hip Hop)
Lean Like a Cholo – Down AKA Kilo (Latin Hip Hop ABS)
Na De Na – Angel & Kriz (Latin Hip Hop)
Pam Pam – Wisin & Yandel (Latin Hip Hop)
Que Te Pica – Notch (Latin Hip Hop)
Rompe – Daddy Yankee (Latin Hip Hop)
Shake – Ying Yang Twins Feat. Pitbull (Hip Hop)
A La Nena Le Gusta – Zumba Fitness (Merengue)
Ca Plan Por Moi – Plastic Bertrand (French Merengue)
La Morena – Zumba Fitness (Merengue)
Pegate – Zumba Fitness/Grupo Treo (Merengue)
Suavemente – Elvis Crespo (Merengue)
Vete – Zumba Fitness/Los Primeros (Merengue)
Hava Nagila – Zumba Fitness (Hebrew Folk)
Kalinka – Yamboo (Russian Pop)
Pa Pa Americano – DJ Kiky (Italian Pop)
Stereo Love – Edward Maya Ft. Vika Jigulina (Romania Pop)
Ritmo Caliente – Zumba Fitness (Quebradita)
ZuBailaito – Zumba Fitness (Quebradita)
Baile Del Pescao – Zumba Fitness (Reggaeton)
Hella Decale – Zumba Fitness/DJ Mam’s (French Reggaeton)
Oye – Zumba Fitness/Mara (Reggaeton)
She’s Hotter – Zumba Fitness/Pitbull (Reggaeton)
Ana Mile – Zumba Fitness (Salsa)
Dance the Night Away – The Mavericks (Salsa/Cha Cha)
La Agarro Bajando – Zumba Fitness (Salsa)
La Vida Es Un Carnaval – Zumba Fitness/Celia Cruz (Salsa)
Loca – Shakira (Salsa/Belly Dance)
Salome – Zumba Fitness (Salsa)
Danca Da Maozinha – Zumba Fitness (Samba)
Danza Kuduro – Don Omar (Samba/Latin Hip Hop)
Mueve La Cadera – Zumba Fitness (Samba/Cumbia)

Belly Dance Hip Coin Scarf for Zumba

I occasionally wear a belly dance hip scarf with coins for Zumba. I think the color and the movement of the coins at my waist remind my Zumba participants to use their hips more often during the Latin dance moves of Zumba classes. I often try to motivate Zumba participants to add more  “hips and hands” when they are comfortable with the footwork involved in Zumba Fitness to take their workout to the next level.

I won my hip scarf at a Zumbathon, a Zumba fundraiser event for charity, but many people ask me where they can buy a hip scarf with coins for Zumba. Here are some possibilities:

International Markets
International markets often have Middle Eastern vendors that sell hip scarves, but please be aware of the quality of the hip scarf you are buying. The low-end hip scarves are perfect for Zumba and could cost you $5-20 USD. Do not pay more than $20 for a low-end hip scarf because these hip scarves are “disposable” – you will have to replace it often. It will get sweaty and the coins may tarnish. The strand of thread could break and you could lose a string of beads and coins.

In Minnesota, the Festival of Nations International Bazaar held annually in early May is one place to find several vendors that sell coin hip scarves for Zumba. The Midtown Global Market also has vendors that may (or may not) sell coin hip scarves for Zumba.

Online
Search for “coin hip scarf for Zumba” on Google, and you will see there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of online sources of coin hip scarves for Zumba. Many vendors sell in bulk at a discount so if you are considering buying online, you might want to talk to your Zumba friends and see if anyone is interested in splitting the order with you. As always, please be aware of the quality of the hip scarf you are buying. The low-end hip scarves are perfect for Zumba and should cost you $5-20 USD each. Do not pay more than $20 for a low-end hip scarf because these hip scarves are “disposable” – you will have to replace it often.

I recommend starting with a search for coin hip scarf on eBay, Amazon, or another trusted online shopping source.

Please keep in mind that there are also very elaborate, beautiful, high-end hip scarves with coins available for performance dance. When you hear the low, rich tone of the coins and feel the weight of the beads, you will know the high quality of the costume hip scarf. These high-end hip scarves are very heavy and expensive and probably not appropriate for a Zumba class because of the cost, weight, and potential beadwork disaster that would stop class if a strand of thread broke.

Zumba and Shape-ups

With Zumba in the Circuit classes at Curves becoming popular, I am seeing more and more Skechers Shape-ups, Curves Toning trainers, or other rocker-bottom athletic shoes in my Zumba classes. As participants quickly discover, rocker-bottom tennis shoes like Shape-ups or other “toning” athletic shoes are not designed for dancing and do not belong in Zumba classes.

Shape Ups and other rocker-bottom tennis shoes claim to be “Designed to help burn calories and turn everyday activities into a workout.”

Curves for Women Toning Trainers claim its “Unique rounded sole encourages a natural rocking motion with every step to challenge muscles and improve circulation and posture as you walk. Promotes better balance and posture. Natural shock absorbers encourage muscles to work harder while protecting your back, knee and hip joints.”

In Zumba, you are constantly changing position and direction with a wide variety of dance moves. You need a good, stable foundation, agility, and the ability to slide and turn. The variety of motion in Zumba is unlike most daily activities and challenges many people’s sense of balance. Add a pair of shoes that force you to “rock” across the bottom of your foot and it could be a recipe for disaster.

Do I recommend Skechers Shape Ups or other rocker-bottom athletic shoe for Zumba, or any other group fitness class for that matter? NO! Save rocker bottom athletic shoes for walking forward on a smooth, flat surface only.

Better yet, skip them altogether.

Foot Pain and Zumba

One night after a long day of teaching Zumba classes, I had an ache in the forefoot of one of my feet. It felt like there was a round, hard stone right behind my second and third toes.

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.

Best Ryka Zumba Shoes

I have not tried Ryka studio shoes for Zumba yet, but many of my Zumba class participants are currently sporting Ryka. And I love Kelly Ripa, spokesperson for Ryka, among other things. Here are a couple of the more popular models I’ve seen in class lately.

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?

Best Nike Zumba Shoes

I have been doing Zumba for 2 years and I have been a Zumba instructor for 1.5 years. I have gone through several pairs of athletic dance shoes for Zumba, and I am partial to Nike.

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.

Minnesota Zumba Events – March & April 2011

Zumba Playlists October 2010

Papa Americano (We No Speak Americano) (Italian Pop / Warm Up)
DJ Kiky
Choreography by Rencsi

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

How to Choose a Zumba Class

Always visit several Zumba classes before making a commitment to any instructor, class, or location. Here are some tips to finding the right Zumba class for you!

Location
Many health clubs, community centers, community education programs, colleges & universities, ballroom dance studios, martial arts studios, and corporations hold Zumba classes, but beware – not all locations are the same! Some classes are held in fitness studios with mirrors and hardwood floors, some classes are held gymnasiums with rubber floors, and some classes even held in carpeted meeting rooms or cafeterias! Choose a convenient location for you – something near home, work, school – whatever will get you to Zumba on a regular basis! It doesn’t matter how awesome the location is if you are not going to class!

Instructors
No two Zumba instructors are alike and variety is the spice of life, but let’s face it – there are good Zumba instructors and there are bad Zumba instructors. Some instructors teach choreography, some jump right in. Some instructors take breaks during class, some do not. Some instructors are all about hip hop and reggaeton, some focus on more “traditional” Latin dances. Try multiple instructors before you commit to one. Don’t worry about hurting your Zumba instructor’s feelings – it is all a matter of preference. The more you like your instructor(s), the more Zumba success you will have.

Classes
Zumba class should be good exercise, but it should also be fun that you look forward to! Find a class that suits you. Do you like the other people in class? Are they your age? Do you feel comfortable trying new moves and possibly making mistakes around them? Can you afford the fees? Classes are primarily female, but males are welcome to do Zumba! Some Zumba classes average 5-10 participants, while others average over 100! Do your research and find the right class for you!

Now you’re ready to use the Zumba class finder to find Zumba classes near you!