This is great, thanks. I'd also love to see a review comparing teletone tap sounds (flats and Cuban heels etc.). I knew the tightness of the taps makes a difference but a comparison would still be really helpful please. If you do this please give me a heads up - thanks!! 👍
That is so tricky because so many factors other than the taps themselves come into play... for example, I personally like the sound of my Miller and Ben tap shoes more than my Capezios, but both shoes use Capezio taps. Could be a cool experiment to take the same pair of shoes and try them with multiple brands of taps!
If I'm not mistaken, that sleeve inside the "hole" that you refer to @2:18 in your video is known as an eyelet or a grommet. Basically, it looks to me like the grommet is tearing loose from the leather around it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grommet
I have a pair of Bloch shoes (I should have bought 2 lefts) very comfortable with a flexible instep which is fine for any moves on the toes and ball of the foot, not so good when you heel ball change at first as it tends to push the heel (which is quite square) flat if you are on the back edge of the heel, apart from that, so comfy you could wear them as carpet slippers and I would if my wife would let me😊
Hi Shelby. Have you tried Ruben Sanchez or JustTap shoes? I have Ben and Miller shoes that are fully worn in and still give me blisters so I want to buy some good new shoes. I just haven't met anyone with those other brands and would like to get a better idea of how they are before I spend so much money.
I haven't, though I am dying for a pair of Ruben Sanchez shoes! I might order some, but I know I personally need a lot of support and I am not sure if they have a ton or not. (I need one of my own tap shoe reviews...lol).
comparing to beginer's shoes, what difference does a higher toe? is it only a matter of sound or does it make a difference on the ability of doing some tapping tricks?
There are many reasons professional shoes tend to be built up more than other tap shoes. I think not only does it enhance the sound quality, but also, they are significantly more supportive. I would also say that certain steps like toe stands, etc, feel different in different shoes.
Shelby have you ever seen Leo's jazz flat split sole tap shoe? I've been using these for years and am now developing all sorts of foot ankle and shin pain and am thinking it's my shoes. I know.. it's just I'm so used to them and the bright sounds they make that when I try to use my new stiffer shoes I don't like them and go back to the Leo's. How frequently should people get into new shoes and can the lack of support be the cause for pain? I kind of know the answer but I'm more curious if split soles are bad why they would even sell these! :(
Split soled shoes are definitely not made for serious tap dancers at all. I would imagine that is definitely one of the reasons you have this pain. I personally even think some single sole shoes are not supportive enough for me let alone a split sole. I hope you have switched by now!
What I do know is that Miller and Bens fit my Berkinstock arch supports in them, and K's don't. In addition to that, K's have significantly less under the foot support in general compared to Miller and Bens (probably because K's have a leather sole and Miller and Ben's have a wood sole).
dancemasta13 I guess it depends on you and how you tap. They usually last a decent amount of time, a few years at least, but if you are a particularly hard dancer, they might give out sooner. One issue is that the inside of them rips and hardens after a certain amount of time and sometimes digs into my feet, so I end up duct taping the inside of the shoe to get them to last longer.
hi, i have capezio tap shoes, and i have the ones that are sorta shiny- it looks like there's a glaze on it. i accidently rubbed it on the floor, now there's marks on it, how should i fix it? thanks
+Caitlin V I am not exactly sure about that. My shoes have all sorts of scuffs and smudges on them, but they aren't shiny so I just leave them as they are. Sorry I can't be more helpful!
Hi Shalby! I have a Jason Samuel Smith and I am of the same opinion... My big toe, Jeez, it hurts so badly. I have already taken to stretch it, but it didn't work. It still hurts! I would like to ask you if you have ever tried Sodanca TA 810 with sole attached? I like it a lot! What I would like to ask you is which one you would recommend as a good quality of sound and comfort. Thanks! Hugs from Brazil!
+Juliane Scatolin My favorite tap shoe for sound and comfort is the Miller and Ben Sportap. I have a whole video up as to why if you would like to check that out. I haven't tried the So Danca's so I am not sure what my opinion of those would be.
+Shelby Kaufman Thanks for your attention. I'll surely watch it. I hope to visit the USA soon, so I'd like to have one of those Miller and Ben! Any time you try the sodança, tell me!
I learned a trick for tightening heels on tap shoes ages ago in high school - after the second to last eyelet, you lace your shoes vertically, rather than crossing them and then you cross the laces through those vertical loops. I do this on my shoes, but they are still too wide, so I found you while looking for info about Miller & Ben's fitting narrow feet. www.aofas.org/footcaremd/how-to/footwear/Pages/Lacing-Techniques-for-Proper-Shoe-Fit.aspx (scroll to heel problems for a diagram of what I was talking about)
Shelby Kaufman I posted some pictures of what it looks like: goo.gl/photos/g2ukgeLaPemoraKE9 I finally got shoes narrow enough (that shiny pair of miller & bens in the picture) that I don't have to do this to keep my shoes on, but it is a trick I learned in high school and has saved many a pair of almost fitting shoes :)
Omg I’ve been binge watching all of your tap shoe review videos
Shelby Kaufman is spot on!
Thank you so much for this!! I'm so excited to start!
Nathan Diaz Thanks for the idea for this video!
This is great, thanks. I'd also love to see a review comparing teletone tap sounds (flats and Cuban heels etc.). I knew the tightness of the taps makes a difference but a comparison would still be really helpful please. If you do this please give me a heads up - thanks!! 👍
That is so tricky because so many factors other than the taps themselves come into play... for example, I personally like the sound of my Miller and Ben tap shoes more than my Capezios, but both shoes use Capezio taps. Could be a cool experiment to take the same pair of shoes and try them with multiple brands of taps!
Thank you for doing this!!
+Lillian Linares You are welcome...Thank you for watching!!
If I'm not mistaken, that sleeve inside the "hole" that you refer to @2:18 in your video is known as an eyelet or a grommet. Basically, it looks to me like the grommet is tearing loose from the leather around it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grommet
The k360 boots are amazing!!! Btw it's Faigy from the JCPA
I have a pair of Bloch shoes (I should have bought 2 lefts) very comfortable with a flexible instep which is fine for any moves on the toes and ball of the foot, not so good when you heel ball change at first as it tends to push the heel (which is quite square) flat if you are on the back edge of the heel, apart from that, so comfy you could wear them as carpet slippers and I would if my wife would let me😊
Hi Shelby. Have you tried Ruben Sanchez or JustTap shoes? I have Ben and Miller shoes that are fully worn in and still give me blisters so I want to buy some good new shoes. I just haven't met anyone with those other brands and would like to get a better idea of how they are before I spend so much money.
I haven't, though I am dying for a pair of Ruben Sanchez shoes! I might order some, but I know I personally need a lot of support and I am not sure if they have a ton or not. (I need one of my own tap shoe reviews...lol).
comparing to beginer's shoes, what difference does a higher toe? is it only a matter of sound or does it make a difference on the ability of doing some tapping tricks?
There are many reasons professional shoes tend to be built up more than other tap shoes. I think not only does it enhance the sound quality, but also, they are significantly more supportive. I would also say that certain steps like toe stands, etc, feel different in different shoes.
How should they fit a begginer child? How much toe room is to little or to much.
I believe toes are supposed to be pretty close to the end, but you still want them to be able to comfortably spread their toes out.
Shelby have you ever seen Leo's jazz flat split sole tap shoe? I've been using these for years and am now developing all sorts of foot ankle and shin pain and am thinking it's my shoes. I know.. it's just I'm so used to them and the bright sounds they make that when I try to use my new stiffer shoes I don't like them and go back to the Leo's. How frequently should people get into new shoes and can the lack of support be the cause for pain? I kind of know the answer but I'm more curious if split soles are bad why they would even sell these! :(
Split soled shoes are definitely not made for serious tap dancers at all. I would imagine that is definitely one of the reasons you have this pain. I personally even think some single sole shoes are not supportive enough for me let alone a split sole. I hope you have switched by now!
Anyone know how the arch support compares between the K360 and the Miller and Ben?
What I do know is that Miller and Bens fit my Berkinstock arch supports in them, and K's don't. In addition to that, K's have significantly less under the foot support in general compared to Miller and Bens (probably because K's have a leather sole and Miller and Ben's have a wood sole).
Do the K360's last a long time? I just hate buying expensive shoes and then having them die after a short while.
dancemasta13 I guess it depends on you and how you tap. They usually last a decent amount of time, a few years at least, but if you are a particularly hard dancer, they might give out sooner. One issue is that the inside of them rips and hardens after a certain amount of time and sometimes digs into my feet, so I end up duct taping the inside of the shoe to get them to last longer.
hi, i have capezio tap shoes, and i have the ones that are sorta shiny- it looks like there's a glaze on it. i accidently rubbed it on the floor, now there's marks on it, how should i fix it? thanks
+Caitlin V I am not exactly sure about that. My shoes have all sorts of scuffs and smudges on them, but they aren't shiny so I just leave them as they are. Sorry I can't be more helpful!
Shelby Kaufman yea, the one i have is patent leather, so it scratches more easily
Hi Shalby! I have a Jason Samuel Smith and I am of the same opinion... My big toe, Jeez, it hurts so badly. I have already taken to stretch it, but it didn't work. It still hurts! I would like to ask you if you have ever tried Sodanca TA 810 with sole attached? I like it a lot! What I would like to ask you is which one you would recommend as a good quality of sound and comfort. Thanks! Hugs from Brazil!
+Juliane Scatolin My favorite tap shoe for sound and comfort is the Miller and Ben Sportap. I have a whole video up as to why if you would like to check that out. I haven't tried the So Danca's so I am not sure what my opinion of those would be.
+Shelby Kaufman Thanks for your attention. I'll surely watch it. I hope to visit the USA soon, so I'd like to have one of those Miller and Ben! Any time you try the sodança, tell me!
Juliane Scatolin hi i wear mens jasonsamuels smith shoes and they r wider
I learned a trick for tightening heels on tap shoes ages ago in high school - after the second to last eyelet, you lace your shoes vertically, rather than crossing them and then you cross the laces through those vertical loops.
I do this on my shoes, but they are still too wide, so I found you while looking for info about Miller & Ben's fitting narrow feet.
www.aofas.org/footcaremd/how-to/footwear/Pages/Lacing-Techniques-for-Proper-Shoe-Fit.aspx (scroll to heel problems for a diagram of what I was talking about)
+Mary Fran Wiley I think I get it? You might have to send me a picture... lol
Shelby Kaufman I posted some pictures of what it looks like: goo.gl/photos/g2ukgeLaPemoraKE9
I finally got shoes narrow enough (that shiny pair of miller & bens in the picture) that I don't have to do this to keep my shoes on, but it is a trick I learned in high school and has saved many a pair of almost fitting shoes :)
+Mary Fran Wiley Ahh ok cool! I'll definitely try that and see if it helps! Thank you so much!