What Size Dance Shoes??

Some do, like my daughters ballet shoes are a size bigger than her regular shoes but her tap shoes are the same size as the regular shoes. I get hers at Payless though I don't think they have jazz shoes.

If your daughter is new to dance I would just get the cheap ones at Payless. Unlike other shoes they really need to FIT, and you could end up wasting your money ordering from ebay (as many items are not returnable.)
If she continues dancing I suggest buying Capezio (or other high quality) dance shoes, new and fitted to her feet. You can save money by getting everything else second hand (leotards, tights, etc.) but the shoes are something you really don't want to skimp on!

I'd call the studio and ask them what brands they suggest and if the shoes run small or large. I got DD some dance shoes at her regular size, but in reality, they are slightly big (since little kids grow fast and it's winter, we are using thick socks). http://www.discountdance.com/ is where we got hers. They were less $$ than the local dance store near us when I was taking ballroom.

You really need to get your child properly fitted. Dance shoes can't run small or large depending on the styles.

I was in dance for years and it was common that ballet, tap, jazz, and pointe shoes could all be different sizes and fir perfectly .

Don't skimp on this part for saving $$. It's critical that the shoes fit properly.

Dance is expensive, reconsider if the beginning charges are too much for the budget.

Dance shoes are the ONE thing you really have to go to the store and try on.

We get in shoes from the same company and they NEVER fit the same as the last ones we got. It's like some company just makes up a bunch of shoes and someone goes through at the last minute and stamps sizes into them.

My granddaughter wore a size 1 at any store like Walmart or Payless. I could pick her out a pair of shoes for any reason and take them home and they fit.

Her ballet shoes were 3's, her hip hop shoes were 5.5, and her tap shoes were 2's.

I truly think you have to go and have those shoes on their feet or buy them with the knowledge that they will probably not fit.

The best thing you can do is sit your kids current shoe on a ruler and see exactly how long it is relaxed. Then measure how wide the widest part is across the ball of the foot. Then when you look online you just ask the seller to do the same thing.

Even then it's probably not going to be a great fit.

The dance studio that I work at sells dance shoes and our lace up jazz shoes sell for $36.95, the boot kind is a bit more, so if I was going to buy used then pay S&H you can bet I would not pay over $7 for used shoes. IF IF IF they were extremely perfect I might go up to $10 for them but knowing they are not likely to fit I would not go over $10 for any reason.

Not when I could buy new for the same price by going to a store and putting them on their feet.

I bought tap shoes for a friends daughter. The girl was a young pre-teen. The mom said she wore about the same size shoe as she did. My friend and I wear about the same size and to fit the shoe to my foot and that should work. It was nearly 1.2" too small. That's how hard it is to fit shoes. They were too tight on her foot.

We have boxes of shoe in the boxes in the back. When we start a new session there are tons of kids going through our store buying shoes. They often have to try on 4-6 pairs of shoes to get one, they may all say they are the same size too, that fits comfortably.

IF the shoes online are cheap enough then go for it but don't be too disappointed if they don't work.

I'd rather spend the extra money and go have the shoe on the foot and know it's the right size. If you order from a store online then you also have the option of sending the shoe back to exchange it. BUT really, wouldn't you rather spend your time just getting it all done in a half hour or so?

Our store doesn't carry black ballet shoes. So when my grandson needed black ones for a recital costume I drove to OKC and went to a dance store that carried them. I bought some that fit him then and I bought a pair that he can grow in to. SO he has black ballet shoes for the next year or so.

Ask her dance teacher if she has a box of used shoes she resells for her students. If she does then there you go. If she doesn't have one then may I suggest you visit with some of the other parents and find out if anyone would like to be in a group of mom's who trade their shoes around or sell them to each other when their kiddo's outgrow them.

We do this with class leo's and shoes especially. We never sell the items for even half. If they're worn well then we sell them for about 1/4 of the original price. So basically we just switch them around to smaller kids. When I've been doing okay financially I've just given the shoes to the next smaller kiddo. But there have been times I couldn't afford shoes and had them given to our kiddo's too. Being kind to each other is always the best way to go.

Different brands of different dance shoes do run differently for size. I just got jazz shoes for my daughters this year and they were 2-3 sizes bigger than their sneakers! Yet, the first time I bought ballet shoes they were a smaller size than my child's shoes.

If you by them at a consignment shop, just have your child with you to try them on. If your child feels comfortable dancing in them, I say go for it.

Our dance studio has a bin of old dance shoes that kids can try on and use before they commit to a class. Those gave me a better idea of what size to get them.

I guess it also depends on what age your child is. I'm fairly convinced my youngest has shoes that are a little too big. But she is happy in them and that is good enough for me. If your child is older or a more advanced dancer, a better fit might matter.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Yep, you must have your kids fitted, or have them try on shoes that your studio might have in a box of left-behind shoes. You need to talk with their dance teacher about brands-- as others note, every brand is different and a size number that fits in one brand is going to be totally different in another brand. Your own studio is your best resource.

It is FAR better to go ahead and spend money on shoes that fit than to have kids who decide they dislike dance because their feet hurt or they have blisters due to ill-fitting shoes.

Once you are familiar with the brands and sizes you THEN can go online and get additional pairs or used pairs -- but you do realize that used shoes are going to be "broken in" already and therefore will not last very long, and will already be stretched to fit another kid's foot? That's why getting your own, new, and breaking them in yourself is best.

One last thing. You can go to a dance store and get a fitting but depending on the store, some will charge you for the fitting if you do a fitting but then do not buy any shoes from them. They do this for exactly the reason you're citing -- they don't want to spend expert staff time on a fitting and then have customers just walk out and buy things online. I can't really blame them. I know that this is the case with ballet pointe shoes at a few stores around here. Not sure if it's the same with jazz shoes, which cost less than pointe shoes, but you should ask if the store charges for fittings if you do not purchase shoes from them.

1 1/2 to 2. Like the others have said tho, it's best to get sized in person first. the various styles and brands run differently.

It completely depends on the brand! Some dance shoes uses US street sizes, some use European sizing, some have their own sizing, and some just run big/small. (ie, I dance ballet, I wear a 9C in one brand, a 7.5B in another and an 11.5N in a third). Even if you plan to order online, take them to a local dance shop and get them fitted in the various brands. Bring a notepad and write down exactly the size each one wears in EACH brand you're considering ordering online.

Good luck.
T.

My daughter wears a 7.5 or 8 sneaker but a size 9 ballet shoe. If you get them a bit large they can always wear thick socks until they grow into it.

Try Payless before you pay for shipping on ebay. I would think Payless will be fine, unless they are very advanced dancers.

Lisa,

Dance shoes are ones that should be tried on. Go to the dance studio that is selling them and have your daughter try them on. Some can be more narrow.

Good luck!!

Jazz shoes don't seem too expensive - less than $40 in my experience. If you don't want to buy them through your studio, there's a store in Lake Orion I've had good experiences buying shoes from. Let me know if you'd like the name.

It is 100% dependent on the brand and style of the shoe. My daughter's dance shoes vary in sizes, and she has several different pairs. Go to a local dance store and get her fitted, then you can order online if you like at places like discountdancewear.com or others. But definitely have her fitted, or you'll buy ones that are too big or too small.