There are three different types of shoes used for Irish dancing, dependant on gender and the type of dance. The shoes are an integral part of Irish dancing and can be quite an investment (especially hard shoes), so it is important to get advice from your teacher.

 

 

First lesson

You will probably not buy ‘Irish dancing’ shoes for your first lesson as you will want to make sure you like it first, and have had the opportunity to get advice from your teacher. Trainers are not ideal as they tend to be clumpy and difficult to dance in. If you can, wear ballet shoes if you have them or school daps/plimsolls as they tend to allow more movement and flexibility.

 

 

 

Light shoes

The first type of shoes you will need are light shoes. These are different for boys and girls.

 

 

Pumps (Girls)

 

Girls light shoes (also called 'ghillies', 'lights', 'soft shoes' and 'pomps') are similar to a ballet shoe. They are made of a soft leather with a flexible leather sole. They lace up across the foot and around the ankle in an apparently complex pattern - it is simpler though than it looks!

 

Pumps need to fit closely to the foot and most types will stretch over time so they should not be bought too large to begin with as they will be much more difficult to dance in and may wear out quicker. The close fit allows the dancer to dance on her toes more easily and shows off the point of her foot to greater effect.

 

Pump manufacturers include Antonio Pacelli, Hullachan, Boyne Walk, Rutherford, Corrs, Fays and Inishfree.

 

For Boyd dancers, Ian would recommend Antonio Pacelli's Gazelle's as a beginners shoe as they give the support to the arch of the foot that a beginner needs. Antonio Pacelli suggest ordering a one size lower than the dancers street or school size. They cost around £23 new and can be bought online here.

 

For more experienced dancers Ian recommends Hullachan Pro's as they are very soft leather and give a great shape to the foot. These are around £40 a pair. For more information on Hullachans, click here.

 

Once you have your new shoes you will need to know how to lace them;

 

Lacing your new pumps

1. Start at the loop at the front of the pump and thread the lace through so there is an equal amount of lace on each side of the loop.

2. Take one end of the lace and start threading it through as shown in the diagram (each side shown as a different colour to make it clearer - there is only one lace). Don’t forget the elastic loop under the ankle if you have them!

3. Take the other end of the lace and repeat the process, threading it through as shown.

4. Thread the end of each lace through the loop at the back of the pump.

5. Remember to slacken all the laces before putting the pump on.

6. Once on the foot, tighten all the laces, starting with the laces at the toe end of the pump. It is important the laces are tight so the dancers can dance on their toes (you should not be able to get your finger underneath them when they are tied).

7. Once they are all tightened up there will be quite a lot of lace left over. The most common way for dancers to use this up is to wrap it under the arch of their foot a couple of times, then finish off with a bow and double knot. (There is a debate that tying the lace under the arch is bad for the foot so some dancers wrap it around their ankles instead).

 

 For a video of how to tie Hullachan Pro shoes, click here

 

 

 

 

Reel Shoes (Boys)

 

These are the light shoes worn by male dancers. They look a little like a jazz shoe and have hard heels and firmer soles than pumps. Advanced dancers sometimes wear split sole shoes to give more flexibility but it is important that you have strong arches before dancing in this sort of shoe.

 

Antonio Pacelli make a reel shoe suitable for beginners which costs around £34 (Leinster heels are fine, no need to upgrade). Pacelli's suggest ordering your normal street or school shoe size. They can be bought online here.

 

Reel shoes are also made by Boyne Walk, Rutherfords, Fays, and Corrs.

 

 

 

 

Heavy Shoes

 

Heavy shoes (also called jig shoes) are not needed by a new dancer until they start learning their heavy dances which is generally at least six months in, once they have learnt all their light shoe dances.

 

Heavy shoes are the same for boys and girls and are substantial lace up shoes with a heel made of a solid material, usually wood or fibreglass (metal is not allowed), and a tip which is a wedge of the same material on the toe. These make the distinctive taps of Irish heavy dances. 

 

Heavy shoes have a strap which buckles across the top of the foot to give the dancer more support, especially when doing toe walks (like en pointe in ballet and only done by experienced dancers, and in competition not allowed below the U12 age group).

 

The soles are generally made of a flexible leather or a very flexible suede. New and younger dancers should wear leather soled shoes to give their arches more support.

 

Manufacturers also tend to make each of their shoes with a range of different heel and tip options. The difference is primarily the density of the material used which changes the loudness and the quality of the sound of the taps. More advanced heels are very expensive and are not needed in the initial levels of dancing.

 

Some heavy shoes are made with 'bubble' heels. These are bulbous heels that stick out beyond the profile of the shoe to make heel clicks easier - these are banned for competition with An Coinisium (but allowed by An Comhdhail).

 

Heavy shoes do not need to fit as tightly as light shoes but they still need to be snug to stop them flopping about on the foot while dancing, particularly if doing toe stands as the foot would be jammed down into the shoe if it was too big.

 

Ian recommends for beginners the Antonio Pacelli Super Flexi shoes with Leinster tips and heels. Antonio Pacelli suggest ordering your normal school or street shoe size. These cost around £48 and are available here.

 

(you can also send Pacelli's a tracing of your foot and they will advise on sizes, click here for instructions)

 

 

 

Breaking in new heavy shoes

Once you have your new heavy shoes they will need to be broken in - that is the leather will need to become more soft and supple and mould to your individual feet. The following tips may help:- 

     1.   Wear them at home when you do not need to dance in them so you get used to them and they won't rub as much when you do dance (be careful though that you don't wear them on floors or light coloured carpets where they may leave a mark).

     2.   Put the shoe on and work out where on the sole the shoe needs to bend for you to point your foot naturally. Take it off again and then bend the shoe backwards and forwards along this line to make it easier to point your foot in them.

     3.   Once you are sure you know where the bend in the shoes needs to come you could bend them in half at that point then tie them in that position with their laces or an elastic band and leave them overnight.

 

If your heavy shoes are slippery you may need to use tape on the bottom of the tips (and possibly heels) to help. Use duct tape, gaffer tape or electrical tape and cut a piece to stick to the bottom on the tip, trimming the edges. It is best to use either clear or black tape to match your shoes and start with as little as you can and add more if you find you need it. Once you begin to toe walk you may need to put tape across the front of the tip of your shoe as well as the bottom but this should not be necessary to start with. An alternative to tape is sole rosin and although this is not generally as effective, it won't deaden the sound of the tips at all. There is more info on applying sole rosin here.