“I purchased these shoes to wear at the “big dance” we attended after taking dance lessons. They were never worn for practice and when I wore them at the dance I wore street shoes until inside. They are in perfect condition. I got a new girl friend and so I don’t have to dance any more!! Shoe trees shown in the picture are not included.”
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure? 😉 Bless his heart…
Another pair of dance shoes priced to move! Aris Allen Red Velvet Oxfords, size 7.5, starting bid $5.99. The shipping is a little steep at $18.35 *ahem* for Expedited mail, but perhaps you could convince the seller to ship at a lower/slower rate. I just sent Lindy Dandy a box of goodies to Kabul and it didn’t cost half that…anyway, bid away and don’t forget to message the seller about the shipping and perhaps some more details about the condition of the shoes.
On the heels of the Dancestore.com sale comes a Re-Mix Sale! Some particularly danceable models are reduced drastically – I’ll let the graphic below explain more. 🙂
I came across this pair of Aris Allen loafers today on eBay, with a starting bid of $6.99 – this is how you do it, folks, to sell your used dance shoes you should price this stuff to move. Size 11.5, they look to be in good condition – used, but not worn out baked potatoes. If you were thinking about trying the Aris Allen loafers, this is a low-cost commitment. The seller also indicates that this pair is the older version of the shoe with the “hard sole” (as opposed to the raw sole), which means it’s easier to do floor slides. 🙂
“Do you want to find out if a certain model is good for dancing, what model fits a narrow/wide foot, what experiences other people made, do you want to sell a pair in good condition or are you looking for a shoe courier…. here is the group for you!!!”
Yes…yes…yes…yes, and I want to buy pairs….all of this is yes, this sounds like a great potential resource. I have acquired about half of my Re-Mix shoes on eBay, some of them used and in excellent condition. I also have questions about the danceability of some Re-Mix models, given certain foot issues, and I’m sure I am not alone.
Since the group is fairly young, I’m hopeful that it will grow into a useful resource for dancers and a potential feedback mechanism for Re-Mix to learn more about how their shoes wear for people and what they can do to improve certain models (if applicable – arguably, the Balboa t-strap is my perfect dance shoe of the moment). Join today!
I’ve written a guest post for Raleigh Vintage on what a brand new, never-been-to-a-swing-dance-before, dancer might want to know before heading to their first swing dance. I know there are tons of these, written for every swing dance society/group ever created, but I figured these things can’t be said enough – the more resources, the better.
I haven’t done a post about Aris Allens on eBay in a while, but if you aren’t doing regular searches for these shoes, then here are some great deals for some used, some barely worn, dance shoes on eBay:
Red wedges, size 6, starting bid $10 – the listing says “used only once as I have no sense of rhythm” – my heart goes out to her!Brown and white wingtip oxfords, size 10.5, starting bid $40White mesh oxford heels, size 9.5, starting bed $19.99Black and white wingtip oxfords, size 10, starting bid $29Herringbone Mary Jane wedges, size 9.5, starting bid $5
If you are a good girl and save your pennies, the Cleveland fairy will bring you vintage and repro on All Balboa Eve.
Still basking in the afterglow of All Balboa Weekend, the Balboa Mecca that occurs every year in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a hub for so many things I love – good dancing, good music, good vintage shopping, good company, and good cupcakes. I left with a full heart and a shopping bag full of goodies – it was like Christmas!
My first stop in Cleveland, per usual, was Sweet Lorain, the vintage department store where I seem to have the most luck finding things in my size. I was greeted at the door by the owner, Redwin Lewis, who remembered me from years past (and possibly phone orders – yes, you can call them back if you decide later that you really want/need something you saw, even 6 months later the item may still be there!) and we chatted about high school reunions and all the films (THE film being Captain America) shopping at his store. I was on a mission for a full slip with some sweet details and Sweet Lorain did not disappoint, with two full racks to choose from.
Dad’s pitcher – my favorite find in Cleveland
On a personal note, I was ecstatic to find a red plastic beverage pitcher at Sweet Lorain, perhaps circa 40’s/50’s, that I have been seeking for the past decade or so – when I was in undergrad I picked up a plastic yellow pitcher from Target that looked vintage, with some sweet Deco detail on it. I probably paid less than $10 for it. My dad saw it in my apartment and was immediately drawn to it, asking where I got it, and how much it cost. I told him that I had purchased it at Target several months ago and that it was out of stock. He was crestfallen – my grandmother had owned one during his childhood and he had always thought it was a great design, with a lid that opens when you tilt it and closes when it’s upright. Flash forward to ABW 2013, I was chatting with Redwin in the housewares section and my eye caught a flash of red in that distinct shape. It was the pitcher! I text messaged my dad a photo of it and he confirmed that he wanted it. Done! I look forward to “reuniting” my dad with his childhood pitcher this coming weekend. 🙂
Thus Spake Zarathustra…at Chelsea Costumes
My next stop was Chelsea Costumes, which I had somehow managed to miss on all prior visits to Cleveland. The sheer volume of square footage packed literally floor to ceiling was overwhelming in a way that only a disorganized Goodwill warehouse of great magnitude could rival. The racks were three tiers high, with the top two racks reachable by rolling staircases located on each aisle. Adding to the library feel of the place, the ends of the racks were labeled by decade range. I searched in vain for the early vintage clothing and had to ask where it was located – at the end of one of the 1950’s racks was a single rack with 1940’s clothing. I found a couple of items I liked, but they had fatal flaws (fading, shredding, etc.). I’d say it’s definitely worth a look, especially if you are into later decades, and it’s an absolute must if you are looking for menswear – I saw just about every size, shape, color, item, and a range of seasonal weights, with a massive selection. You do have to be a digger to make this worthwhile, but the prices are good and worth the dig.
Back at the hotel, ABW had an array of vendors, some new, some old, that filled up the hallway in front of the ballroom. The first vendor was The Cleveland Shop, with an array of clothing and accessories for men and women. Favorites included some divine shoes, a burgundy silk 1930’s gown, and every dress that went on the mannequin and immediately sold.
Next up was the ABW merchandise, which featured some cool shirts with stripes, a henley, and a girly slouchy tee with cool sleeve detail. This year also saw the return of the ABW shoe bag – I do love a shoe bag!
New style!!!
Moving down the hallway, the next vendor was the ever-popular Re-mix Vintage Shoes, with owner Philip Heath on hand to help all the men and women eager to try on their shoes. This year, they took advance requests from people for specific shoes and sizes, so if you wanted a guaranteed shot at trying on a certain pair in your size, you got that chance. I took advantage of this for my husband, who is sort of between sizes and needed another pair of oxfords. It also resulted in Re-mix bringing a number of pairs of wedges, which have never made it out to ABW, since we mostly dance “the Balboa” in heels. 😉
Romper, umbrella, and THE belts at Bettie Page Clothing
Bettie Page Clothing made its debut as a vendor this year, spearheaded by the lovely Shannon Butler, who is now the manager of the Bettie Page store at the Mall of America in Minnepolis, MN. Shannon brought another innovative way to make sure everyone got to try on the clothing and get the sizes they need – she kept a stock of the dresses, shirts, and skirts she brought as try-ons and once you decided what you wanted, she called the Mall of America store, placed your order, and it was shipped to you (sometimes that day!) free of charge. In addition to all the adorable clothing, she brought these great adjustable belts that are the perfect dress belt, for when that vintage dress comes without a belt or maybe you lost the belt or want to add a belt…regardless, good, skinny dress belts are hard to come by and these babies are only $10 and come in several handy colors.
Flower Child took up about half the hallway, with a wonderful display that moved from housewares and accessories, to jewelry, to several large racks of clothing at the end of the hall. Because Flower Child is made up of several vendors, there were a range of prices in the shop, and they definitely had the larges selection. Favorites included a 1940’s gold bathing suit, rayon Asian print pajamas, and an adorable dress with strawberry ribbon trim that came home with me.
Still obsessing over Dancestore.com’s mesh and leather wingtip
Finally, Dancestore.com made an appearance with most of their line of shoes. I liked that they had a set of “try-on” pairs that you could put on and take for a spin during one dance. It helps you decide, cuts down on wear and tear of new pairs, and also gives you an idea of how they will feel once they are broken in. Great idea!
This year was probably the best year for vendors yet – many of the vendors are veterans at this point, they know their audience, and they only bring the best stuff as it pertains to swing dancers. I am elated that they continue to come out, year after year.
Here are my photos from the weekend – enjoy!
Collar detail at Sweet Lorain *swoon*Velvet collar detail at Sweet LorainLove this Jack and the Beanstalk novelty print – at Sweet LorainMenswear knits in shades of brown, at Sweet LorainThis photo does not do justice to the awesomeness of these sheer cutouts – at Sweet LorainOxfords at Sweet LorainThe entrance to Chelsea CostumesBrain…shuts…down…Navigation system at Chelsea CostumesLovely dress at Chelsea CostumesCollar detail at Chelsea CostumesThe view from the top of one of the rolling staircases at Chelsea CostumesSelect menswear items from The Cleveland ShopCool cotton print dress from The Cleveland ShopTri-strap! From Re-mix Vintage ShoesDid you know these came in GREEN?A lovely display from Flower ChildGold bathing suit FTW – courtesy of Flower ChildLove all of this – at Flower ChildSuit jacket peplum made of petals! At Flower ChildPajamas! At Flower ChildLots of good knits this year – this from Flower ChildThis Bettie Page blouse went home with many a galLovely dresses from Bettie Page Clothing
It’s been a while since I scoped out eBay for Aris Allens, there are a few good deals on the auction block this week:
Camel velvet oxfords, size 9.5, bidding at $26.95Black t-strap heels, size 8, bidding starts at $14.99Brown and white wingtips, size 10.5, buy it now $50.00
If you’re a dandy, lady dandy, or you just want a pair of really stylish shoes, it looks like this is the year of the oxford (featuring the wingtip) at Urban Outfitters. They are offering an array of styles, price points, and an unparallelled offering of color. Here are my faves (and I’m only scratching the surface here):
Men’s J Shoes Foxton Oxford – love the navy canvas and brown leather comboWomen’s Sam Edelman Jerome Oxford – these are just screaming at me…available in two other colors, available in peach-coral-silver-ivory combo and……gold, bitches!Men’s Feathers Canvas Stentorian Oxford – this shoe skirts that line between dress shoe and canvas sneaker. I love the canvas (won’t show dirt too terribly) and that the sole is resin – the reviews say that this shoe doesn’t have much grip, which means it should be great for dancing. 🙂Women’s F-Troupe Butterfly Oxford – just…adorable. I am sad the sole is rubber, but sueding is always an option, no?Men’s Florsheim wingtip oxford in this juicy color combo of cream and black. This shoe is also available in 5 solid colors: gray, maroon, black, berry, and brown.Women’s Dolce Vita Orina Cutout Leather Oxford – the cutouts are so dreamy and I love the low heel!Men’s Ben Sherman tweed and leather cap toe of awesomeness
I am happy to announce that Lindy Shopper has a new supporter in the form of Etsy store Swell Farewell Vintage – owner Kate Blank has put together a lovely little shop with items from all of our jazz age and swing era decades, and beyond. Kate’s love of all things vintage began early in her childhood and she even ran her vintage clothing business out of her dorm room in college! You can see her experience in her collection, which includes quintessential items from each decade represented. I also love that she has clothing items listed by waist size, which is so helpful in initially narrowing down what will fit from the shop.
Right now the shop features mostly women’s clothing, but Kate has plans to add more men’s ties, as well as more inventory overall. Not everything is listed, so if you are looking for something specific, Kate encourages you to message her with your sought-after items to see if she has anything in her inventory that would fit the bill.
At the moment, Swell Farewell Vintage is running a 15% off coupon – enter the code 15OFF at checkout – it applies to all items!
Here’s what I love from the store:
1950’s plaid peep toe heels1940’s dress with peplum and sequin appliqueSo this is adorable…This beyond sweet 1920’s dress…Black 1940’s shoesThe use of the fabric print on this 1950’s dress is pretty fascinating – excellent neckline, as well
We can thank Australian DJ Sam Carroll (aka Dogpossum) for sharing the link to Soles2dance.com, a website selling stick on soles for dance shoes (or to convert street shoes into dance shoes). Choose from classic suede or their special “low friction” soles, crafted to be used “sticky, high-friction floors or for concrete and asphalt.”
You read that right – now all those exchanges with outdoor venues, street festivals, or impromptu Lindy bombs could be a little less cumbersome with the right soles. I know I fret about what to dance in for concrete situations, so I usually just avoid them. I am very intrigued…
From the website:
“Our hybrid low-friction soles allow dancers to modify their dance shoes so that they provide just the right amount of friction on a wide variety of floors. This is different from conventional dance shoes that work well only on well-maintained, clean wood floors. However, many social dances often take place on less-than-ideal floors that frustrate dancers because of their high-friction surfaces. Dancers at such events often complain about pain in their knees, caused by the high torque needed to overcome the floors’ high friction. Dancers also feel that they can’t dance at their best because pivots and turns are limited by high friction. Similarly, party goers at nightclubs and other dance entertainment venues typically encounter dance floors that are designed more for resilience to street shoes and spilled drinks than to promote optimal pivoting, turning, and sliding. For all of these types of floors, our LOFRI-04 product is ideal.
Lastly, there are outdoor dances on concrete or asphalt where dancing in suede-soled shoes is entirely out of the question because the suede gets shredded within minutes. On such abrasive surfaces, rubber and most other conventional shoe soles produce so much resistance to pivoting and turning that dancers either have to avoid such moves altogether, or risk knee or hip injuries while trying to force them. Our SULOFRI product overcomes this excessive friction on concrete and asphalt. Indeed, dancing on these surfaces with SULOFRI feels almost like dancing with suede-soled shoes on a well-groomed studio floor.”
I think this is the real clincher here. Sure, we can all go out and buy suede and DIY a pair of dance shoes for indoors (Soles2dance also sells the raw materials), but we haven’t really had any viable options (that I know of) for outdoors until this (duct tape doesn’t count). Has anyone else tried these stick on outdoor soles? I’d love to hear a review of this product.
If you haven’t been to Dancestore.com in a while, you should spend a few minutes checking out their new selection of shoes. I knew Dancestore was working on a pair of mesh and leather Aris Allens, but I did not know they had other men’s styles and new women’s shoes up their sleeve, as well. They were kind enough to invite me to test out a few pairs and I’m happy to share my report with you about the women’s shoes (and direct your attention to some of the men’s shoes I think are worthy of a look-see).
The first pair I decided to try was their new saddle shoe. I personally think saddle shoes are adorable and if you showed up to a dance in a 40’s skirt, blouse, sweater vest, and saddle shoes, I’d think you were completely awesome. And adorable. Very collegiate, no? I think most people associate saddle shoes with the 1950’s and poufy skirts, but they date back to 1906 when Spalding introduced them for tennis and squash players and reached their height as a trend that spanned 20 or so years, from the 1930’s through the 1950’s.
Saddle Shoe – available in brown tweed, black tweed, and classic black and white
I have been looking for a pair of saddle shoes for myself for some time, but have failed to find any with leather soles (like the pair from my childhood), only that spongy “crepe” sole which I find not as well-suited for dancing. Dancestore has introduced a great compromise – a saddle shoe with a hard rubber sole that has been sueded. I opted to try the brown tweed version of their saddle shoe, which has a soft tweedy fabric covering most of the shoe with brown faux leather covering the “saddle” part of the shoe. They came with two pairs of laces, a thicker set and a thin set. When I first tried on the shoe it felt a bit stiff, but after only a couple of dances, the stiffness wore off at the points where I needed movement. The shoe itself was very comfortable, the rubber sole flexible, and I didn’t worry about the shoes as I danced in them. I wore them with socks, which was a nice change for me, and they looked great with the collegiate outfit I described above. 🙂 The only criticism I have, which is more of a personal preference item, was that the footbed was not super cushioned – this is not something that bothers me, but some people prefer a cushioned footbed. Given the shape of the shoe, it would be easy to add an insole or inserts for an easy fix. I normally wear a 7 in Aris Allens and needed a half size larger because I wanted to wear socks with them.
Athletic Mary Jane – available in black, white, black & white, and black & leopard print,
The second pair I tried is actually a style that has been out for a while, but since I don’t normally wear flats for dancing, I hadn’t had much incentive to try out the Aris Allen Athletic Mary Janes. I know there is a population of dancers out there who don’t wear heels who are looking for a Keds alternative, so I thought I’d try them out. The biggest pros for me with this shoe were the wide sole and the cushy insole. The shoes themselves felt of regular width, but the width of the sole seemed wider than the sueded Keds I owned, which in turn made my ankles less prone to roll and just gave me more overall security in feeling “grounded.” The insole on these shoes is cushy in all kinds of good ways – giving without being squishy; soft, yet resilient in its mesh design; arch support with good placement of said support. The strap was ample, so they remained on my feet, and the wingtip styling is adorable. I also had to go a half size up with this shoe for it to fit comfortably. I am hopeful that, like the white mesh oxfords, I’ll be able to shine these up with Windex when they get dirty.
D’Orsay Sandal – available in black satin, tan satin, and silver sparkle
The final pair I tried is definitely a new style for Aris Allen and was the one I was most excited about – the d’Orsay sandal. I have admired the Aris Allen d’Orsay satin t-strap since they launched a few years ago, but never bought a pair because the 3 inch heels were just too high for me for dancing. I hoped that they would create a similar pair with a lower heel and was elated to see the d’Orsay sandal with a 1 5/8 inch heel.
I selected a black satin pair to try out. Initially I got a size 7, but couldn’t fit my foot in the shoe, so I exchanged them for a 7.5. I got the 7.5 on my foot, but because I have a weird foot* the part of the shoe around where your foot enters the shoe near the ball of the foot was too tight. I enlisted the help of my friend Tiffany Linquist, another size 7 lady, to test the shoes for me, as her foot fit into them without the same problem. Another dancer, Heidi Reule, also tried out the fit of the shoe and did not have the same problem.
After about 5 dances, Tiffany came back over to me – the short end of the strap had broken on the d’Orsay sandal. We were pretty mortified, because we both have Aris Allen shoes that we love and know that they can make quality products. We brainstormed about the shoe and here’s what we came up with:
– The quality of the shoe appeared to be good – the materials used appeared to be quality, the overall aesthetic of the shoe was very good, the cutouts added to the comfort at the ball of the foot, and the insole was soft and comfortable.
– The heel height and width were ideal for Charleston, Balboa, and Lindy Hop.
– While the ball of the foot was very flexible, the arch was not – it was stiff and the shoe itself was very narrow at the arch. Tiffany’s feedback was that the shoe was very comfortable while she was dancing on her toes, but not while she was standing still. The arch, overall, felt and looked very narrow and, when she was wearing the shoes, she said it felt like her arches were dancing off a cliff (i.e. not secure).
– The arch support in the shoe felt like it was too far forward in the shoe.
– We were surprised that the strap broke (the small part with the buckle, not the long part with the holes for the buckle) until we noticed that there was no elastic on the strap. The absence of elastic, combined with the stiff arch appeared to put unnecessary strain on the strap, which likely caused the break. There is only so much thread can hold without some give to that tension.
That said, I hope that Dancestore does not give up on this style – I would still love to own a pair of shoes in this style and heel height – I hope that they take this feedback and make some improvements to this lovely shoe – a little elastic and some love in the arch would help what is, otherwise, a good shoe.
MEN! If you are still reading, you are dedicated – there are good things for you, including a much anticipated mesh wingtip in brown tones, a sweet white wingtip that looks like it may give Re-Mix’s version a run for its money (at half the price), and dance loafers in black, white, and a “Michael Jackson” edition in black with a special rubber insert in the heel that was specific to a pair of shoes worn by the King of Pop. I notice in the descriptions for the white wingtips and the loafers that they have taken feedback from dancers to heart and made these pairs with a thicker sole than the regular Aris Allen dance shoes – the result is something more like a quality pair of dress shoes and requires a bit of a break-in period. Not a bad thing if you are looking for a more quality pair of shoes. Men, I would take the time to read the descriptions of these shoes, as they have taken the time to describe their qualities in a fairly in-depth way to help you make a decision about what shoe would be right for you.
I love where Dancestore is going with their men’s shoe line – I think the aesthetic is spot on and the focus on quality materials and listening to user feedback is a step in a great direction. I think there are some improvements that could be made with the women’s shoes – aside from the aforementioned satin sandal, I would also like to see more leather shoes in the women’s shoe line and would like to continue to be able to buy leather wedges, which are a staple of my dance shoe wardrobe. I see that my staple wedges are being phased out, which is a shame because there are no viable alternatives, in my experience, that have the same wonderful, flexible sole as my Aris Allens. I am on my second pair of tan Rugcutters (since purchasing my first pair circa 2003/4?), and would still be on my first pair if they hadn’t smelled so terrible after 5 or 6 years that I had to throw them out. I wore them to death, almost every night, until I could afford to expand my shoe wardrobe and buy more wedges. I love them, please don’t get rid of them! *grovels and clings to your leg*
I would like to thank Dancestore for involving me in a review of their products. I am a staunch supporter of their shoes because I believe that they are a great entry point for dancers to buy dance shoes at more affordable prices and are one of the few places offering viable social dance shoes in flats. I hope they continue to make shoes that I love and experiment with new styles and adjustments to make the shoes that they have even better for dancing.
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*I have weird feet, so not every shoe works. I am the genetic product of a father with narrow feet and mother with tiny feet, a high arch, and Haglund’s deformity – the result (in me) is a narrow heel, a disproportionately wide ball of the foot, and the Haglund’s knob on the back of my heels. I also have a Tailor’s bunion and have had two surgeries to repair a toe I mutilated in my youth by falling down the stairs, breaking my toe, and then stuffing the broken toe into toe shoes before it healed. Needless to say, I must have very comfortable footwear and my health insurance has labeled me as having a pre-existing condition.
I am eagerly anticipating my departure to Lindy Focus XI, not only for the shopping opportunities this year, but also for my appearance as a panelist in one of the Lindy Focus Field Day discussions! Come to the Overlook ballroom at 1:00 p.m. on December 30 for a discussion on “Scene Building in the Age of New Media” with me, Rebecca Brightly of Dance World Takeover, Jerry Almonte of Wandering and Pondering, and others!
In addition to vendors and merch, Lindy Focus boasts a consignment shop where you can bring your gently used clothing and shoes (up to 10 items) to sell in their shop to make a little extra cash for yourself (to do more shopping with, of course!). There’s also a shoe shop where they are offering a sole sueding service – $15 per pair for high quality suede and professional strength cobblers adhesive. They will also have many pairs of vintage and dance shoes for sale at the shoe shop. So many things!
Finally, Lindy Focus has a room with some emergency supplies, if you find yourself ailing outside of drugstore business hours. From Eva Millwood: “In room 128, there will be available band-aids/neosporin, Tylenol, Advil, Aleve, Tums, and Benadryl for $.25, and emergen-c and off-brand 5-hour energy shots for $.50. Someone will almost always be here!” They may add to this list of available items, so come to this room if you find yourself in a bit of a medical bind, but don’t need urgent care.
Lindy Focus continues to exceed expectations – I can’t wait to be there!
Lindy Shopper 