Qualified tap teacher, Johanna Hadley, takes you through 5 top tips on how to make your tap shoes less slippery.
Tip 1
My first tip for slippery tap shoes, is to check the toe plates. The toe plates are the first areas that start to show signs of wear on a pair of tap shoes and this can be a cause of slippiness. Take a look where the brand logo is and if it is starting to disappear it is already showing some signs of wear. Also keep a look out for any wax built up, which can sometime build up depending on the floor you are dancing on. It can normally be cleaned off quite easily. If they are starting to show signs of wear, it is either time for a new pair of tap shoes, or for a new toe plate.
Tip 2
Check the screws on your tap shoes. This won’t be a problem if your shoes came with the toe plates attached with rivets. If they have got screws on them, they can start to work themselves loose, which can make your shoes slippery. Also if you have fitted the toe plate yourself, just check that the screw has been countersunk. If you are dancing on the screwhead, this can make for a very slippery tap shoe, and it will ruin your dance teacher’s dance floor.
Tip 3
Check the flooring you are dancing on. Stay well clear of highly polished, varnished, dusty or dirty floors. All of them will create a very slippery surface to dance on.
Tip 4
If your tap shoe has a rubber non-slip pad on the sole, check this for wear. When they are new these are very useful for stopping tap shoes from slipping. After a while this will wear down. You will notice the pattern wearing down and you may even be able to see the sole of the shoe underneath.
Tip 5
There are lots of other suggestions online of how to stop slippery tap shoes. However, depending on the flooring, this can actually end up causing damage to the shoes and floor. They can also affect the tone of the taps and the sound of the shoe. Do not walk on concrete wearing your tap shoes! The metal of the toe plate will be damaged, and you will lose the warmth in the tone from the plate. It will also scratch your dance studio flooring.
If you are still experiencing problems with slippery tap shoes, the best person to speak to is your dance teacher. They know the flooring you are dancing on and the brand of tap shoes you are wearing. They may be able to offer some specific tips that suits their dance flooring.