All styles of tap shoes are specifically designed to meet the range of needs, material preferences, dance styles and foot sizes of different dancers. Tap shoe styles include the Mary Jane, Oxford, character heels and boots, which all feature different materials and shoe elements. Listed below are common tap shoe soles and fastenings, as well as information on what functionality you can expect with each shoe. Tap Shoe Soles What is a full sole tap shoe?

Split sole tap shoes are similar to split sole jazz shoes – but with taps attached. Split sole tap shoes are flexible because the base, or underside, of the shoe does not have continuous material. Instead, there is a gap in material under the arch of the foot. Tap Shoe Fastening Slip on tap shoes Australia, Canada,Cyprus, Iceland, India, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Malta, New Zealand, Oman, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine,USA Non-attached toe plates and heel plates: Normally, tap shoes come with toe plates ready fitted but will require heel plates to be fitted. Sometimes, however, both need to be fitted. Heel plates can be bought as either a regular tap-shoe plate or a horse-shoe shape. Tap-shoe plates are one of the most important features of a tap shoe; they are what make the difference between a regular shoe and a tap shoe. However, if you can feel the tap moving up and down when you move, it’s likely the tap needs tightening. You can do this easily with a twist or two, taking care not to over tighten as this can damage the hole holding the screw in place.

Quick Overview

One of the biggest differences between tap shoe styles is heel height. Rhythm tap and funk/urban tap are more suited to a lower heel and a weightier shoe. For this reason, Oxford shoes are often the preferred choice. In Broadway/musical theatre tap, a higher heel is usually preferred. The Capezio Return Policy does not apply to returned products that show signs of actual use (e.g. markings on the sole of a shoe, make-up/deodorant stains on a garment). Our selection of women’s and men’s tap shoes are all made by recognised leading brands such as Bloch and Capezio, so you can rest assured that they are all of the finest quality to enhance your tap dance performance. The type of audio produced by tap dancing shoes is very important when selecting a tap dance shoe. Our range has a wide variety of sounds to suit any tap dancer from beginner to Professional tap shoes.

Please note that this service takes 48-72 hours to the Scottish Highlands & Islands, the Isle of Man, plus additional rural post code areas AB30, 32, 41-44, 51,99, DD8, 9, 10, DG7, 8, 9, FK3, 8, SN5 0, SN5 3 to SN5 8, SN6 6, YO25 4 to YO25 6, YO 25 8 & YO25 9and Northern Ireland. Split-sole shoes are much lighter than whole-sole shoes – although it should be mentioned that some dancers prefer weightier shoes, especially for rhythm tap. Our range of tap shoes for girls and boys are included within this section. Our children's shoes for tap dancing provide the perfect support for growing feet and development whilst dancing. Please use the menu to browse our selection of kids tap shoes for girls and boys.

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The quality of the plates can make a big difference to the sound. Some shoes come with plates riveted in place that can’t be adjusted, while others can be fine tuned with a screwdriver to either the dancer’s preference or the flooring the dancer is performing on.

From the anatomy of tap shoes to choosing the most comfortable size, here is our guide to tap shoes. What is a Tap Shoe Made of? For more advanced dancers, the two main styles of shoes are Oxford shoes and stage shoes. Oxford shoes are often in a unisex design, meaning that they are usually the best style of tap shoe for boys and men. For example the Capezio Tic Tap Toe tap shoe. Which heel height is best for tap shoes? Tap dancing is energetic and technically demanding, so it’s important to choose a pair of tap dancing shoes that will provide both comfort and style during tap dance practice and performance.Loose taps can drive you crazy, and I remember having to tighten my taps every five minutes when I was a kid. If only someone had showed me all of the options available for keeping the taps from falling off my shoes. No more! You have to play around. There are so many tap-to-shoe variations that it is absolutely possible to be physically and harmonically satisfied with your tap shoes. Like a Fingerprint… Tap shoes should stay pretty clean, especially as they’ll only be worn indoors. However, you might occasionally notice scruffs or marks, which will mean you want to clean your shoes. Split-sole tap shoes are not recommended for beginners because of the strength of foot required. For more advanced dancers, however, they are a more flexible shoe and give greater control over the plates, allowing for intricate footwork. A good fitting pair of shoes is essential for tap. Shoes that are too small can be uncomfortable to wear – you can normally tell if they are too small as, like outdoor shoes, the toes have reached the end of the shoe.