I'd like to ask for advice.

I bought new capezio dance shoes and my balls of the feet are so sore. The heel is 2 1/2. I don't think I can learn how to dance in heels.

Where could I sell my shoes? I am so sad I paid a lot of money and I cannot use them.

Is there any way the heel can be shortened? I am new to dancing and I am not new to heels at all. Is this normal that feet are so sore?

What are your experiences?
Thank you so much.

It is normal. I wear huge heels all the time but my dance shoes used to kill me. At this point it isn't so bad and the 2 1/2 feel like kitten heels compared with 3.

You are putting weight on different parts of your feet than you normally do. Your feet need to get stronger and build muscles and get used to new pressure points.

The other thing is that Capezios are not good dance shoes for ballroom. I started there and I promise you when I got into my first real dance shoes....aka Ray Rose or DanceNaturals I was a new woman. If they are Latin, get shoes that actually are much smaller than your street shoes. Your toes should actually stick out past the front and there should be no give anywhere in the shoe. If they are smooth they should be super tight, to the point that if you kick with all your strength the shoe does not come off.

If you are having trouble gettign used to them only wear them in your lesson until your feet are sore and then change over. It builds tolerance.

Good luck!

Try gel insoles, they can really, really help. And as Belle said, don't buy Capezio shoes again. They have no idea how to make a good ballroom shoe. When I first started I thought I would never get use to heels so I bought another pair of shoes with a low heel and switched between the two. The balls of your feet will get less sore but it will take awhile.

Thank you.

They are latin shoes but I use them for all dances. Up to this point I've been dancing in street shoes with leather sole, they were great, slippery a bit and they are falling apart. People in the studio kept saying what a difference dance shoes make. Maybe they meant flats/sneakers.

Unfortunately the store did not have any low heel shoes and Capezio was the only brand.

Thank you for the idea of gels,I tried them it's hard to say if they really help.

Your problem is the capezios. Get real ballroom shoes. It will make a difference. Buy a pair of ballet flats (real ones like ballerinas wear) to wear when your feet get tired. You won't be able to dance like you want to dance if you don't learn how to deal with the shoes.

Save your self time and frustration by getting shoes that are balanced and fitted for ballroom. Capezios are not those shoes. Those chinese/korean shoes are not those shoes. Buy Supadance, buy RayRose, buy DanceNaturals and do what I did...give your capezios to someone who isn't serious about dancing.

Sorry, dancing takes a toll on your body. Having the right equipment makes the difference. I don't sell shoes so I have no investment in telling you stuff that isn't true. Yes your feet are going to hurt, yes you are going to have to break the shoes in and you will probably get blisters if they aren't tight enough. If they are too loose you won't have stability and you are going to have trouble with your balance.

Throw the capezios away and invest in some real shoes, not flats/sneakers. You will probably need to order them on the internet and be prepared to send them back until you get the right size. If you can go to a ballroom dance shoe store that will put the right shoes on you and be prepared to spend about $200-$300 a pair.

Great idea Ladydance Gels should be awesome!

There are jel pads now that you can slip your middle toe in a toe hoop, for latin shoes. My friends that have Capezio shoes have problem hurting them too. Go to Apple Dance Shoes on line, and you can find the pads there with other very nice dance shoes. With close toe shoes you can go to the store and just buy the jel pads there. But your dance shoes should not hurt you at all.

I have owned Capezio's and did not find them as bad as you all say. I did find the heel was not centered just quite right and fell apart quickly so I would not purchase again but I would not throw them away either...

But as far as selling the shoes you are going to have a problem with that and not get nearly what you paid for them. The one time I purchased a shoe I just could not wear I donated them to a college ballroom team.

I do the oppostie when breaking in a shoe. I wear a practice shoe for my lessons, which are a hour and a half and the heels go on for practice sessions.... I dont want to be distracted at all in a lesson.

There are tons of on line sites to buy shoes so you do not have to be limited to just buying Capezios. I buy my shoes online at BackBay.