Okay, I am in charge of a brand new dance program. I get to choose all the shoes...well, everything, actually.

For jazz I want tan shoes. Do boys ever wear tan? I've only seen black on boys. What shoes should the boys wear?

Hip-Hop, I don't know what to say. Comfortable clothes, no sweat pants (like jazz pants and tank)?

I used to work in a dance supply store and I can honestly say that we carried men's jazz shoes mostly in black. They could be ordered in tan, but we didn't stock them regularly because they weren't bought very often.

For hip hop do you want them in street shoes or dance sneakers? And jazz pants and a comfortable, form fitting top sounds good and safe.

Men normally wear dance pants, not tan tights when they perform so I would go with black shoes for them.

For Hip Hop you need to pick a style of trainer and tell your students they are only to be used indoors.

Thank you!

For hip-hop I was thinking a solid back skate style shoe like this - www.payless.com . . .

If there is a boys style then the girls would wear the same ones ( I know I have a pair of DCs that are little boys size and I wear a 6.5 in womens).

With black runners you need to make sure that they won't mark your floors. I would have boys and girls in the same style of shoe too, I personally prefer them that way, I think it's smarter.

hummingbird wrote:

With black runners you need to make sure that they won't mark your floors. I would have boys and girls in the same style of shoe too, I personally prefer them that way, I think it's smarter.

Good point. I know it's an Omara floor. The owner bought it used. I'm going to help install it later this week. I don't know which floor type it is, though.

Our beginner boys usually wear black pants, so they wear black shoes. Our older, more advanced boys wear shorts often, so sometimes they use tan shoes. Either that or barefoot.
For hip-hop, I find black/white converse, or a generic looking one, to be the most versatile.

cheerspirit wrote:

Our beginner boys usually wear black pants, so they wear black shoes. Our older, more advanced boys wear shorts often, so sometimes they use tan shoes. Either that or barefoot.
For hip-hop, I find black/white converse, or a generic looking one, to be the most versatile.

I know when we start a competition team I will have the girls get both black and tan. I think I will have boys do the same. For regular classes tan for girls, black for boys.

I thought about converse style shoes. I am a bit reluctant because they are very flat and have no support. Whenever I had a pair I had to get arch support insoles put in. But, that is probably the best way to go.