Georgielocks' Irish Dance Shop Shoe Sizing & Fitting Guide

If you would like your feis included on this site, please email us with the relevant details. Don't forget to include contact details! If you are interested in attending any of the feisanna listed here, please contact us for further information.

*Please note: feisanna we will be attending are highlighted in yellow & feisanna where we will be stallholders are highlighted in green. If you wish to have us as stallholders at your feis please email or phone with the date and location and we will do our best to accomodate!

Stuttgart Open Feis: 6th March 2010, Boblingen } WIDA

Jersey Open Feis: 14th March 2010, Jersey } WIDA

Farrell Feis: 27th March 2010, Swindon } CAID

Kennedy Feis: 27th March 2010, Raleigh} IDTA

Omsk Open Feis: 3rd April 2010, Omsk } WIDA

European & World Championships: 9th-11th April 2010, Malaga, Spain } WIDA

English Open Feis: 1st May 2010, Sydenham } WIDA

Isle of Man Open Feis: 22nd May 2010 } WIDA

Minsk Open Feis: 29th May 2010 } WIDA

Celtic British Open Championships: 29th May 2010, Burgess Hill } CAID

Edmunds Feis: 5th June 2010, Crawley } IDTA

O'Brien Feis: 5th June 2010, Crawley } CMFA

Venlo Open Feis: 12th June 2010 } WIDA

CAID 10TH Anniversary Open Feis: 3rd July 2010, Kent } CAID

Cannon Feis: 10th July 2010, Aylesford }

Hemel Open Feis: 17th & 18th July 2010, Hemel Hempstead } CMFA

CICS Irish Festival: 29th August 2010, Crawley } Open Platform (Anyone can enter, regardless of school, organisation or level)

WELCOME TO GEORGIELOCKS' IRISH DANCE SHOP!

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Please note that the shop will be CLOSED this Thursday (11th March). There will be NO dispatch on Thursday. Sorry for any inconvenience, we will be back to normal on Friday.

***Shoe Bags Update: our much-loved shoe bag has sadly been discontinued. We have a few in stock in Navy Blue with green embroidery but are unable to get any more black or royal blue ones. We hope to be able to replace the bag with a new style soon but do not yet have any details.***

Sizing

In general, US Junior sizes are very similar to UK sizes so you will probably only need to check on the size if your dancer has wide feet. The table shows the conversion of US Adult sizes and Continental sizes to UK sizing:

UK Size	1.5	2	2.5	3	3	3.5	4	4.5	5	5.5	6	6.5	7	7.5	8	8.5	9	9.5	10	10.5	11
Continental	33	33.5	34	35	36	36.5	37	37.5	38	38.5	39	40	40.5	41	42	42.5	43	43.5	44	45	46
US Ladies	3	3.5	4	4.5	5	5.5	6	6.5	7	7.5	8	8.5	9	9.5	10	10.5	11	11.5	12	12.5	13
US Men	2	2.5	3	3.5	4	4.5	5	5.5	6	6.5	7	7.5	8	8.5	9	9.5	10	10.5	11	11.5	12

FITTING IRISH DANCING SHOES

The preferred fit for an experienced dancer is a very personal thing. However, for the less experienced I have put together this general guide…………………………

Soft/Light Shoes

Often called pumps/pomps or ghillies;

Many dance teachers are advising parents to buy one to two sizes smaller than their child’s normal shoe size. Although it is true that the leather stretches with wear, this is an alarming miss-information, particularly for the very young. Whilst soft shoes DO need to be a snug fit, with NO extra room at the toes, the bones in children’s feet are soft and shoes that are too tight could cause permanent damage.

Some brands actually come up small anyway, so to buy a smaller size would be a waste of time and money.

The actual sizing does vary from brand to brand, so it is always best to check with the seller, especially if you have not bought that brand before. It is also helpful to take a measurement from the dancer’s feet for reference: Draw around BOTH feet, wearing poodle socks, whilst standing on a piece of paper. Measure the longest part of each foot from heel to toe. For soft shoes it is usually best to use the smaller foot’s measurement (unless there is a big difference, when you should choose shoes that measure somewhere between the two!) You can either ask the seller for the measurement of the shoe size you think you need, or give them your measurements and ask them to tell you the correct size to order.

In general, soft shoes need to fit the foot snugly, a bit like a glove, with no extra room at the toes or heels. Do not be tempted to buy a larger size than needed as not only are shoes that are too big difficult to dance in, they can even be dangerous - particularly if the toes can poke through the gaps in the laces.

The stretch in the leather will ultimately give the dancer their “growing room”! With regular wear (and barring any MAJOR, sudden growth spurts!) soft shoes can stretch up to two whole sizes. I recommend dancers wear their soft shoes when practicing at home as well as at class to ensure they grow with their feet!

I deal mainly in Boyne Walk shoes. Most dancers will find that their normal UK street-shoe size is the correct size to order, for both soft and hard shoes, in this popular and very high quality brand. Those with wide feet may require a larger size as Boyne Walk does not offer a wide fitting shoe.

The Celtic Creations Arch Support Pump is only really recommended for experienced dancers. These shoes fit very differently to other styles of soft shoe and it is easy to think that the shoes are too small when in fact they may be a perfect fit. The elasticated arch section is designed to pull the toes into an automatic point. This can feel very strange at first, particularly when the foot is flat on the floor. The shoes will feel very tight across the toes. As with any soft shoes, the leather will stretch and mould to the feet with wear, making them a very comfortable shoe. As a general guide with this style of shoe, if the dancer can get them on (even if it is a little bit of a struggle at first), they are NOT too small! If they DON'T feel like they are pulling the toes under, they are too big! Most dancers will need a half size smaller than their regular shoes in these pumps but again this depends on the width of the feet.

Hullachan Pro AP Pumps are also best suited to experienced dancers and are not recommended for beginners. These shoes have a pre-formed arch which hugs the foot and gives a beautiful line. However, this means that these shoes will feel extremely uncomfortable with the feet flat on the floor as the pump is fitted to a pointed foot which is actually shorter. Dancers who wear these in too large a size will not benefit from the unique fit and would effectively be wasting their money (if a dancer wearing these looks flat-footed, chances are her shoes are too big!). These pumps come in three width fittings but all do come up a little narrow. In general most dancers will need half a size larger than their normal UK shoe size but of course every dancer is different and will have her own preference! As with the Arch Support Pumps above, if these shoes DON'T feel like they are pulling the toes under (especially when brand new), they are too big! Correctly fitted these shoes will give unparralelled support and will enhance the dancer's foot-line.

Second hand soft shoes are likely to have stretched already, so remember to check the measurements before purchasing as in this case you MAY need to buy slightly smaller sizes!

Hard/Heavy Shoes

Often referred to as Jig shoes;

Again, the sizing varies from brand to brand – and sometimes even between styles from the same manufacturer. The measurements mentioned earlier will be useful here too. This time it is usually necessary to use the measurement from the larger foot.

Hard shoes need to fit properly to enable the dancer to execute their steps correctly and to avoid unnecessary injury. The ball of the foot should sit comfortably in the “well” at the bottom of the arch, whilst there should be room to wiggle the toes but not too much!!

Unfortunately, it is unwise to buy hard shoes with extra room at the toes for growth as they are VERY difficult to dance in! (And potential toe-work is virtually impossible!). The good news is that hard shoes have a good re-sale value if they are well looked after.

Second hand hard shoes are very popular as they are already broken in and, of course, are often very good value! Usually a dancer will need the same size as in a brand new pair. However, older shoes may be more suitable for those with slightly wider feet due to having stretched over time.

The Different Types of Soles on Hard Shoes

Some people are understandably confused as to the meaning of some of the terms used to describe hard shoes. I will try to clear some of these up here, but do contact me if you are still unsure!

Traditional; this refers to the rigid sole used traditionally in making Irish hard shoes. The leather is usually very stiff and there is the addition of a thin metal shank running the length of the sole. No amount of bending will make these shoes more flexible! Many manufacturers have stopped making these as they are not very popular any more. Most suitable for the beginner, they can still be bought second hand – usually in very good condition as the leather sole hardly seems to show any wear!

Flexi or Super-Flexi; the most popular type of shoe currently on the market, particularly favoured by younger and novice to intermediate dancers. The leather sole is much softer and the metal shank is not present making the sole more flexible, and ultimately more comfortable! Most brands offer this type of sole as standard these days.

Ultra Flexi or Suede Soled; suede is used for the sole as it is even more flexible than the leather used in regular flexi/super-flexi shoes. Most often black, the seamless look is favoured by many intermediate, open and championship dancers. The superior flexibility makes for easier toe-work.

Split-Sole; Particularly suited to narrow footed dancers, this style of shoe has had the sole completely removed at the arch. This allows the most flexibility of all, giving beautifully defined points and smooth toe-work. The down side to this style is that there is often little or no support for the arch of the foot, so is not recommended for beginners or those with fallen arches or flat feet. Very popular with open and championship dancers!

I hope this has helped some of you. Don’t forget: - if in doubt ASK!!

ABOVE ALL – ENJOY THE DANCE!