The Story of the Toilet Paper and the Shoe

Dancing is like any other hobby in the sense that there are certain items you should own in order to fully participate. The most important item being a good pair of dance shoes. A good dance shoe allows you to feel the dance floor through the sole of the shoe. However you can forgo the expensive dance shoes and go with a cheaper alternative, at your own risk.

Depending on the dance, finding a pair of shoes to dance in can be quite simple. Dances like Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing, or West Coast Swing are ten times easier to participate in if the ladies ditch the high-heels and go for a flat shoe alternative. Flats are relatively easy to find in most sizes and price ranges. As long as you can do some good slides in them, most times you can dance in them.

In Latin dances and some ballroom dances however, the addition of heals can add a certain flare that is often associated with the dance itself. Unlike flats, heels are usually more expensive, and depending on the pair, can be excruciating to dance in. Most dance heels include straps around the ankle. This helps keep your foot locked in as you move in and out of turns, spins, and a combination of steps and kicks.

Dancing in regular/work heals can be quite dangerous. Regular heels are usually either clunky-ish or stiletto-ish. Clunker heels are sturdier but can be ridged and hard to dance and feel the floor through. Stiletto style heels can be slick and give you less of a base to rely on. Both of these can end in rolled ankles. A lot of regular heals also don't include straps around the ankle. This can turn a dance like the Charleston into a shoe throwing contest.

Me, myself, and I have a lot of experience dancing in these regular heels, and boy has it been a journey. I will attest that a good pair of dance heals is invaluable. I have had bruises, blisters, and aches from dancing in regular heels. However, due to the expense of dance heels, I have put-off getting a good pair. A recent event has convinced me to pay the price.

Within the last couple of months I have started dancing Salsa and Bachata. The heels I usually dance in are small, clunky, and a little bit too big for my petite foot. However for the sake of looking good I take on the challenge of wearing them. In-order to make the heels fit tighter to my feet I always stuff the top of the shoes with toilet paper. Usually there is no problem. Usually being the key word.

The night starts out at a Salsa dance club, and it's my first time being at this event. The Bachata lesson goes fine and the dancing starts. In my mind there are few things more embarrassing in dancing than accidentally sending your shoe flying across the dance floor (believe me I know firsthand). Therefor I quickly go into the bathroom to add some toilet paper to my shoes. With my shoes freshly adjusted, the dancing begins.

About half-way into the night, things get kicking, a little too literally. Trying to maneuver through a series of unfamiliar spins, my shoe comes off. That would have been bearable if in fact the toilet paper that had filled the top part of my shoe hadn't also come flying out. The elephant in the room, my toilet paper, lay sprawled on the dance floor for all to see. My partner and I stay staring down at both my shoe and the wad of toilet paper for what seemed an agonizingly long amount of time. Realizing the situation, I awkwardly laughed and proceeded to pick the toilet paper back up with my toes and stuff it back into the shoe before putting it back on.

I'm not one to let a little bit of toilet paper ruin my night, no matter how truly embarrassing it may make a situation. I continued dancing throughout the night, of course with a little more caution and toilet paper (old habits die hard). The proceeding morning I ordered a pair of dance heels, with straps.

Did I learned my lesson? Probably not completely, lets be honest, shoes are expensive already. 
Will I probably continue dancing in some regular heel? Most likely yes.
Will I still use toilet paper to help keep my shoe on? Now that's the true question.

Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed!