Shoes for Swing Classes and Long Social Nights

A swing week usually holds two different kinds of dancing. There is the class, where you stop, start, repeat the same six counts and stand still while someone explains the next thing. Then there is the social, where the band plays on and you dance set after set until the room empties.

Your feet read those two evenings differently. The good news is that one pair can carry both, as long as you choose what goes underneath it with a little thought.

Which swing dance shoes are suitable for both classes and social dancing?

Almost any model here can do both, because the model is the upper and you pick the sole and the heel separately. The combination that covers both evenings most easily is a neolite sole with a low heel. Neolite sits in the middle of the range, so it turns cleanly on a studio floor and still lets you feel the ground on a busy social floor.

If most of your week is class time, that middle sole is the one to choose. There is a longer look at all four soles in our guide to choosing the sole.

What swing dance shoes are comfortable for long dance nights?

Four things decide how a shoe feels at the fifth hour, and all four are yours to choose.

The footbed. Every pair is built with memory foam in the insole, so the cushioning is there from the first song.

The heel. Heels run from 2 cm to 6.5 cm, straight or curvy. For a night that goes long, 2 cm straight, 2.5 cm curvy and 3 cm curvy keep your weight where you want it without asking your calves to hold a position for hours. More on heel height here.

The fit. Every shoe is cut in your size from 34 to 48, in narrow, standard or wide. If your two feet are different sizes, each shoe of the pair is made to its own size. How to pick your size.

The sole. The Super Comfort Eva option is an athletic sole, the kind that sits under a sneaker. It absorbs low, which is what you feel late in the night.

What are the best swing dance shoes for social dancing?

The Super Comfort family, 49 pairs of it. These are the same vintage uppers you would wear to a class or a wedding, built on a sneaker base instead of a traditional one. You keep the line of a 1940s shoe and dance on an athletic sole.

For women, look at Pearl Shoes in custom colours, Naomi Shoes, the La la land Summer Edition and Rock Shoes in red. The full list is under Women's Super Comfort.

For men, look at Super Comfort Basie, the Super Comfort Lester Oxford in brown, Savoy Gent in black and the Classic Loafer. The full list is under Men's Super Comfort.

Choosing the heel for the night you have in mind

2 cm straight and 2.5 cm curvy are the ones to pick for the longest nights. 3 cm and 4 cm suit an evening that mixes dancing with standing and talking. 6.5 cm is there when the night is dressed up and you want the line. Some models also come with a wedge, which spreads your weight across a wider base.

Choosing the sole for the floor you will be on

Real leather is the most slippery of the four and the most rewarding on a good wooden floor. Neolite sits in the middle and handles most rooms. Rubber grips, which suits a floor that is already fast. Super Comfort Eva is the sneaker base, and it is the one made for hours.

The heel is built the same way, so you can pair a leather sole with a rubber heel or the other way round.

One pair, cut to your own feet

Every pair is made to order in 10 to 15 business days, in any size from 34 to 48, narrow, standard or wide, in the colour and leather you choose. Please send your foot length with your order, because the size shifts a little with the last and the heel you picked. Shipping to the USA, Europe and the UK is currently free.

Start with Super Comfort if the next thing in your diary is a long night.