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Shoes for Every Irish Dancer: Soft/Ghillie
If there is one area that receives the greatest number of questions, shoes would be it!!
The Irish dancing soft shoe or ghillie is what we encourage the dancers to wear. Looks can be deceiving and while they don't appear to provide much support, they actually help dancers with their technique and dancing (provided you buy the right size). Soft shoes should be snug- they will stretch and they will mold to your foot producing a left and right. The most common mistake is to buy shoes that are too large (so you can grow into them) or to buy the shoes to fit comfortable (not wanting a break in period). The problem here is sloppy dancing and lack of support for the arch.
So here are your most common questions with our answers....
Where do I buy Irish soft shoes? There are a ton of companies that sell Irish dance shoes. Heart of the Highland, a Canadian company, provides excellent service and super quick shipping. You can order on line or by telephone. There is a company in St. John's called The Music Collection on Torbay Road for those who like to buy on the spot with the shoe in their hand but this will be more expensive. The choice of where to order will be a personal choice.
How do I know what size I need? There is no answer and will be for the most part trial and error. Do not order your street shoe size because Irish dance shoes are based on UK sizes only and, due to the way you need them to fit, a regular shoe size would just not work.
The best advice is to trace your foot and measure the length of your foot tracing in cm. Use a conversion chart to find the UK size based on the cm measurement- NOT street shoe measurement. Even this is no guarantee to fit. One piece of advice: have one of us do your foot tracing.
How do I tie them? I'll provide a link here for those who want to have a look at or refresh on proper technique, but the first step is to get the shoes.
 My advice is to get your feet measured, check out the websites for the companys' mentioned above (especially return policy), make a choice on where to purchase and then call them with your specific measurements. Different brands can have slight enough variations to affect sizing.
Lastly, it is NOT a requirement to have Irish dance soft shoes in order to dance. If you have ballet shoes or even nonslip slippers, they will do. You must have some type of soft, flexible shoe with a slight grip on the bottom as our floors are slippery. Socks or sneakers are NOT permitted.
If you MUST purchase something, then please speak to us first. Don't waste money on an alternative when the Irish dance shoes are available/feasible. It all seems complicated but ask any experienced Celtic Spirit Dancer, the proper shoe makes a difference!!!
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