New Dance Shoes

My new dance shoes arrived today.  It is always so exciting to get new dance shoes.  Being a shoe lover, new shoes are exciting in themselves, however, dance shoes come with this whole promise of happy dancing times to come.

Dance shoes are a breed unto themselves.  The sparklier, the brighter, the better.  I would class this pair as reasonably restrained - they are glittery, but in a subdued colour.  They are shoes for class rather than shoes for performances.  My sister can never quite get this, if I ever show her shoes I'm considering to buy she always likes the ones that I think of as training shoes.  I guess the dance world just believes that more is more when it comes to anything sparkly.

My dance shoes get worn until they fall apart.  I have a car boot full of dance shoes in various states of disrepair.  They live in the boot because, well to be frank, dance shoes are invariably stinky.  They may look like sparkly heels but they get the workout of running shoes minus the socks.  And there are so many of them there because I find it very difficult to part with them.  Even if they are falling apart and no longer supportive in all the ways that is necessary I've spun, slid, ronded and stepped to hundreds, if not thousands of songs in them.  They have been to parties, been in performances, been sweated and usually bleed in.  I feel like they are little, stinky, tatty shoes of happiness given all the good times I've had whilst wearing them.  If anything embodies dance, it is the shoes.

So tonight I take home a new pair.  I will punch a hole in just the right place on the strap, test the flexibility and then bug S till he takes me dancing to " christen" them.  In time they will fade and become worn, but I will love them all the more for the process that got them there.