Special attention should be paid to the soles of a pair of tango shoes that you might be planning on buying. The sole is often an overlooked part of any shoe. How many people flip over the shoe and look at the construction on the bottom? Not many. Most people are concerned with the styling of the shoe and the styling of tango shoes just doesn’t matter on the bottom.
I’ll make this easy for you. There is only one thing to look for on the soles of your tango shoes. Look for a sole that is made from leather or suede. A leather or suede sole will allow you to properly dance the tango.
Don’t forget that you’ll being making a lot of quick changes of direction while dancing and part of those quick changes will involve sliding your feet across the floor. If you have a sole that is made of rubber or plastic your shoe can unexpectedly grip the floor while you are moving. Worst case, your dancing along, you make a quick change of direction to the left, your shoe, thanks to the rubber sole, grips the floor and stays put. Your body keeps moving to the left but your shoe is stuck to the floor just long enough for your knee to twist and become sprained.
Having a leather or suede sole will keep your feet gliding effortlessly across the dance floor. Your dance costumes will flow with you and your shoes will keep you safe. Don’t become injured by choosing a style of shoe with an inferior sole.