Tap Shoes: A Buying Guide

"Choosing the right tap shoes can be confusing with so many choices available. Read ahead for some helpful advice and tips. Did you know that some tap dancers refer to themselves as musicians and their tap shoes as musical instruments? And so, just as a violinist would want the best quality sound from their violin, it’s important to choose the correct tap shoes. One of the most important elements of a tap shoe is the plates, but there are many other factors to consider when buying tap shoes, too: they can be purchased in a wide range of materials, heel heights, plate sizes and with different fastenings. The writers at Dancewear Central have therefore compiled this buying guide to help you find the best tap shoes for you.

What are the different styles of tap shoes?

Popular with younger children are the low heel, traditional, tied tap shoes. These Roch Valley shoes are our best seller and are available in both black and white. For more advanced dancers, the two main styles of shoes are Oxford shoes and stage shoes. Oxford shoes are often in a unisex design, meaning that they are usually the best style of tap shoe for boys and men. For example the Capezio Tic Tap Toe tap shoe.

Which heel height is best for tap shoes?

The different styles of tap dancing can influence your choice of shoes. One of the biggest differences between tap shoe styles is heel height. Rhythm tap and funk/urban tap are more suited to a lower heel and a weightier shoe. For this reason, Oxford shoes are often the preferred choice. In Broadway/musical theatre tap, a higher heel is usually preferred. For tap examinations, some exam boards specify that dancers are only allowed to use Cuban heels/higher heels once they have reached a certain grade. Before purchasing a new style of shoes, always check with your dance teacher to find out if your exam board has any rules about this.

	Advantages	Disadvantages
Low Heel	Most suited to beginners in order to gain stability, and for ease of movement Easier to perform fast ‘rhythm’ tap work e.g. paddles A sturdier feel to the shoe, lowering the centre of gravity of the dancer	More difficult to perform certain steps e.g. pick-ups Can have a heavier look to them
High Heel	Gives a clean, elegant line to the dancer Easier to perform certain steps e.g. pick-ups in Cuban heels Highly suited to Broadway/musical theatre tap styles	More difficult to perform certain steps, particularly if the steps belong to the rhythm or funk/urban tap styles

As a general rule, low-heel shoes put the dancer’s weight placement further back, while higher heels put the weight further forwards.

How to fit tap shoes

A good fitting pair of shoes is essential for tap. Shoes that are too small can be uncomfortable to wear – you can normally tell if they are too small as, like outdoor shoes, the toes have reached the end of the shoe. Tap shoes shouldn’t have extra space or too much growing room at the toe. It is important that tap shoes are the correct size because the toes to be over the toe plate. If shoes are too big, the shoe curls upwards, lifting the toe plate off the floor, meaning that the student is dancing on the sole of the shoe rather than the metal plate. With the tapping action, tap shoes that are too large can be a tripping hazard.

Split Sole vs Whole Sole

Split-sole tap shoes are not recommended for beginners because of the strength of foot required. For more advanced dancers, however, they are a more flexible shoe and give greater control over the plates, allowing for intricate footwork. Split-sole shoes are much lighter than whole-sole shoes – although it should be mentioned that some dancers prefer weightier shoes, especially for rhythm tap. Some styles of both whole-sole and split-sole tap shoes come with a useful non-slip grip on the sole of the foot, just behind the toe plate. We stock split sole tap shoes from So Danca and Capezio.

What are the different types of tap shoe plates?

Tap-shoe plates are one of the most important features of a tap shoe; they are what make the difference between a regular shoe and a tap shoe. The quality of the plates can make a big difference to the sound. Some shoes come with plates riveted in place that can’t be adjusted, while others can be fine tuned with a screwdriver to either the dancer’s preference or the flooring the dancer is performing on. Tap shoes should have both a toe plate and a heel plate fitted so that the dancer can use different parts of the foot to create different qualities of sounds. Most tap shoes come with plates ready fitted, but others will need plates attaching. Below is an explanation of the different types of tap-shoe plates:

• Pre-fixed toe and heel plates: These tap-shoe plates are ideal for beginners, as they create a good sound, are secure and don’t require any fine tuning. They are ready fitted on the tap shoes.
• Non-attached toe plates and heel plates: Normally, tap shoes come with toe plates ready fitted but will require heel plates to be fitted. Sometimes, however, both need to be fitted. Heel plates can be bought as either a regular tap-shoe plate or a horse-shoe shape.

TIP for how to attach tap shoe plates: The screws attaching the tap-shoe plate to the shoe need to be countersunk so that the head of the screw is flat in line with the plate, or even slightly below. This is so that the dancer is dancing on the plate, rather than the screw head. It can also cause significant damage to flooring if the screw isn’t fully sunk into the shoe or is at an angle – you’ll be glad that you checked the screws when your future tap dancing star wants to practice on your newly-laid kitchen floor!

• Teletone® taps: Teletone taps are more suited to intermediate to advanced dancers. They produce excellent quality sounds and, with use, the sound quality will continue to improve. Teletone taps are a thick metal plate that attaches on to a sound board, providing extra resonance when tapping. These can be tuned with a screwdriver to produce louder sounds – but this means that they are much looser, making them unsuitable for beginners. Some exam boards do not allow Teletone taps until a certain grade, so always check with your teacher for advice about which tap plates are suitable. If your normal tap shoe plates are removable, they can be taken off and replaced with Teletones, allowing you to keep your favourite shoes but improve the sound quality. Most of our tap shoes now come fitted with taps. But we do also stock the Capezio Teletone Toe and Heel taps.

Different fastenings on tap shoes

Tap shoe fastenings are a personal preference. Tap shoes can be bought with different fastenings, including traditional tie ribbons, cord, buckles or Velcro.

Which material is best for tap shoes?

Tap shoes are usually available in leather, canvas or polyurethane (PU). The upper-shoe material makes little difference to the quality of sound produced by the tap shoes, but if the shoes are part of a costume, it’s useful to have choice: some materials can be more easily sprayed or decorated to match a particular colour or costume. Tap shoes can also be purchased in a range of colours – some brands even offer shoes decorated with glitter. We love these from Roch Valley and Bloch! You can shop our complete range of Tap shoes here, including the Bloch Chloe and Maud shoes, the Bloch Men's Jason Samuel shoes and Capezio Tapsonic shoes. "