Character Building: How Dance Shoes Became Party Season’s Must-Have
The party season wrongs have been righted for 2024, as it’s out with punishing heels and in with styles that have been built to actually dance.
When you really think about it, it’s quite a strange concept that we’ve long adopted: stepping out to dance the night away, and actively choosing to wear what are often uncompromising stilettos, aka our most uncomfortable shoes. While they may look pretty, how often have they ended up impeding the evening’s plans? Pinching and aching so the sparkles lose the shine to the point they may, well, just come right off. But change is afoot this season.
Dance shoes, which are different from the aforementioned dancing shoes, are now fortunately trending outside of the rehearsal studio. It's the natural follow up to the ballet flats in all the fabrications and colours that have been trending for the last few seasons. Now, it’s heels that were intended for the ballroom and Broadway that are pricking the interest of the well-heeled.
Ariana Grande, in her role in the box office phenomenon Wicked, has much to answer for. Her Glinda wardrobe is punctuated by exactly this sort of shoe, complementing the fantasy setting and assuaging Grande’s demanding choreography. If we’re taking inspiration from her character, it’s the styles with a heel that is just slightly north of kitten. The more adventurous among us could try the equally playful colour palette – a blush pink dancing shoe, so sweet.
But the shoe has found its way outside of Oz too. The character shoes actually feel so right for now, with the vintage shape and strap making them the perfect piece to wear with the season’s vogue for A-line midi skirts and natty knits.
Another style that dance and drama girlies will recognise that’s trending right now is the lace-up boots that walked down Miu Miu’s autumn/winter 2024 catwalk. These boots are not dissimilar to the era-agnostic character boots seen in productions of Les Miserables or maybe Oliver!. Miu Miu paired them with fleeces, so the mood was very ‘off to rehearsals, darling!’
No matter how well you think you can foxtrot, you’re not actually on Strictly Come Dancing. And so if you’re up for trying this trend, a little caution does need to be applied to ensure that you’re not looking like you got lost in the costume department. Look to Ferragamo spring/summer 2025, where Maximilian Davis was influenced by the house’s long-standing relationship with female performers. He made sure that his very literal reference was given a wearable spin, forgoing ballet pump toes and instead presenting sandal styles with classic dance shoe ribbons fastened up the leg.
So whether you are ready to rumba in a T-bar sandal (which look really great with a band tee and baggy jeans, FYI), or are ready to team your tutu with an actual satin ballet flat (supremely price friendly), there’s nothing better to ensure you’re dancing through life right now. Or, at least into January.
Pink Satin Ballet Shoes
Character Shoes
T-Strap Sandal
Lace-Up Boots
Pink Ballet Shoes
Ladies Arise Leather Ballet Shoes
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