Tango Shoe Divas

I haven’t really been looking at shoes these past few years, but when i read the previous post I started getting itchy feet . Nueva Epoca? Who is this new kid on the block? I Tracked down their website, and it was love at first sight (well, love is a strong word, how about ‘lust’ then?). the designs look soooo elegant I could easily have ordered 5 pairs if it weren’t for the fact that they are a bit on the pricey side (178 euro). further ogling revealed that all the shoes have suede soles.
Now I have worn shoes with suede soles before – 8-9 years ago, when i first started dancing, and all i could find in melbourne was ballroom shoes. Am not sure how I’d feel about suede now. So my question to you is : Leather or Suede, and why? also, any direct experiences with Neva Epocas would be greatly appreciated.

Here is a link to their website, just in case any one else is in the mood for some shoe pr0n:

http://www.nuevaepoca.de/ladies-nuevaepoca.html

A friend recently went to BsAs and brought me back a sweet little pair of Flabellas. While a little on the plain and simple side (that was all they had in a low heel, and I’m fairly outspoken about that problem with low heels) they are quite comfortable in deep red and black leather. Sturdy is my best description for them. They should last for some time even if they aren’t the sparkliest kid on the block.

They did just fit my hard to fit foot (thanks to my friend for checking the length and width for me!) and  so I got excited and tried on another pair for sale at a dance studio, in the same size, different model, and they definitely did not fit….The size was at least 1/2 size off, if not more. So, I’d say if you can try them on somewhere to be sure they fit, they’re a nice shoe to have around in your shoe stash, otherwise a bit risky unless they come from somewhere returns are possible.

Then there was my present….a new pair of Nueva Epoca. This is the very comfortable Stella in snake print leather which I got from the incredibly helpful Susan at thetangoboutique.com . I highly recommend Nueva Epoca shoes. This is my third pair now. The 2 main vendors here in the US seem to be Carmen and Susan, both of whom are very helpful. Exchanges and returns are very easy and so you don’t need to feel like you can’t at least try them on. They have suede soles, which I find much more forgiving though there is a leather soled model called Isabela. Note- they measure their heels slightly differently than CiF, and I find NE’s 8cm height to be the same as the low CiF, while their 7cm height is just blissfully under 3″ (though I’m still gonna have to have these cut down a little).

Unfortunately, this model is discontinued now, but there is a similar (if slightly higher heeled model called Penelope) and Marisol would also have a similar cut.

There’s a black pair listed on eBay right now going for a steal if you’ve got the right foot size:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nueva-Epoca-Werner-Kern-tango-dance-shoes-5-UK-8US-38-Eur-black-suede-peep-toe-/250914420210?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a6baa35f2

I recently broke my habit of buying only Comme Il Fauts, but at the Labor Day festival I bought a pair of Turquoise. Less expensive than CiFs ($165). I even broke my vow never to buy more shoes with “fluffy” accoutrements or details (ribbon ties, etc), but this pair has black velveteen scrolling on the silver leather toe band. Wore them to three milongas and am thus far very happy, but I heard from two other dancers they’d avoided Turquoise because they’d found them to be of lower quality, particularly in the buckles. I’ve not experienced this (yet), but I’m wondering if others can comment on their Turquoise shoes. I love mine, thus far, and lovely Hassan assured me he’d replace them if I have any problems with them.

Finally, I’m selling a couple of pairs of CiF on eBay, size 39. I read the post on selling shoes after I listed them, and I’m too busy to adopt some of the more useful suggestions, but here are the links. I’m happy to snap more photos & answer questions.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/130574906699#ht_720wt_1184

http://www.ebay.com/itm/130574903722#ht_720wt_1184

In nearly 7 years of tango, I’ve been through rather a lot of shoes. I’m sitting here yet again, going through the shoes I haven’t worn and getting them ready to sell. It takes a bit of prep, but I think it is worthwhile and so I wanted to share my tips here in case you should ever want to sell some shoes but aren’t sure what steps you might take…so here’s a few suggestions from the way I handle selling a previously worn tango shoe.

Describe- I’ve bought cameras online, and shoes and other used items, and one of the best things you can do is describe. Really tell people to the best of your ability what you’ve got. As it applies to tango shoes I’ll describe why I’m selling, what the fit feels like for me and of course, the condition of the shoes as I see them.

Clean your shoes- You’d think this would be a given but I see so many shoes selling online used that could have looked so much nicer (and probably gotten a better price) just by spending a few minutes cleaning out those insoles, brushing the suede and giving things a quick polish where needed.

Photos- I usually try to shoot for a pic of the soles and top when I can, especially on an expensive brand.

Measure- unless you are dealing with a big name brand like CiF where most people may be familiar with the sizing, and even if you are, I’d use a soft measure tape to get a measurement of the insole length by following the curve of the insole and the heel height. Be sure to mention where you are measuring from on the heel…up the back, from the side…etc. It could help some people and save you a question later on.

Have fun and I hope it is helpful information!

I am notorious for having problem feet as I have gotten older and difficult ones to fit at best. It took a long time to find shoes I was actually happy with and suited my poor arthritic toes. Comme Il Faut runs too narrow and appears to have decided that chunky 3.5cm heel is the way to go in a low heel. Neotango can’t seem to make anything nice looking in a low heel, special ordering is on my no fly list…but I finally did it and maybe one day I’ll understand what the Argentine aversion is to shoes with heels in the 5-6cm range….

Most of my current shoes have ended up coming from Greta Flora. The lush deep purple pair via Diva-Boutique, the special order orange-haired step child Nina model direct from GF, the black and red and silver/taupe pairs also from Diva-Boutique. I hope more people give them a try and vendors carry more of them, especially in the lower heels. They make one of the nicest low heeled shoes around. The kitten heel is placed just right for balance in a low heel; they are beautiful and not something clunky that looks like something grandma would wear.

My other surpising find has been Nueva Epoca, which are purple and crinkle sharkskin in bronze (pictured above), and the now hard to find red/black Illaria model, which turned in to one of my most comfortable shoes.

My other best find in low heels was a pair of Tango Brujo shoes (which is apparently not open anymore) and that’s sad, as this pair of shoes in black suede with silver trim is really fabu.

It’s safe to say if anybody out there is a size 36-37 in Tango Brujo and has low heel open toe shoes they want to get rid of, I’m all ears…

Hello Milongueras. I sell Comme Il Faut, Neo Tango, Diva Boutique designs, Tara, Greta Flora, Madreselva, Very Fine, and dance sneakers. I have been selling for Diva Boutique for over 5 years and am located in San Diego for the summer. If you have any questions about ANY shoes or would like to place an order, please contact me as soon as possible. Arrangements can be made. Elizabeth (847) 804-7506

I am on the hunt for this Comme il Faut shoe in size 37, lower heel. Anyone have it? I’ve already tried 38, too big. Higher heel won’t work either. Still hoping…

Desired Shoe

Question from new user Isocephaly:

I’m not quite sure where to ‘file’ this question, so I’m posting it here. Budget: A Question for the Shoe Divas.

I’ve long been a silent reader & fan; I find your forum so useful, that I’ve linked to it from our tango club website. However, I feel there’s a big hole in discussion and that is a review of budget footwear. I’m part of a university group, and many of our members are raw beginners, living off a very fixed income. They can’t afford Comme il Fauts, and maybe aren’t even sure yet whether they’ll stick with tango long enough to make the shoe-investment worth while. I’m struggling to offer advice on where to buy budget shoes.

I first suggested Guaranteed Fit because they have a good selection of the low-cost “Very Fine” dance shoes for c. $50; but now am locked in a standoff with them over my own order, which I placed two weeks ago for a pair that I’d planned to wear to outside events. They were supposedly in stock for shipment within two days. Now, having taken my money, they aren’t responding to my e-mails or calls about when I might expect them. In looking around online for other budget alternatives, I’m realizing that many of these vendors seem to have such problems. There was even a news report about the company ballroomdancingshoe.com ripping people off.

I’m wondering if other tanguere have had experiences (good, bad, or ugly) with buying budget shoes, and which vendors might be reputable enough to recommend to our fledgling dancers. Thank you!

I don’t even want to tell you the horrific shoes I started dancing in, so I do not have the best of advice. I have some friends who have bought some chunkier low heeled ballroom or character shoes for <$100 (sometimes significantly less) but most are UGLY. I bought a nice pair of leather bottom heels from Nordstrom’s once for ~$90, but I know how to feel for balance and flexibility, it is way harder for a beginner to do these things.

So does anyone have any good sources?

After reading all the mixed reviews of Tango Wear, and failing to find any shoes to fit my extra-wide feet on the festival circuit, I decided to cautiously order my first ‘dressy’ pair of stilettos from them.  I am a tight-fisted person by nature, and a full-time student to boot, so it was not a decision to make lightly:  this investment has to last me a while.  But my shabby $50 practice pair was worn to a shred, and I had fallen in love with the lattice-backed “Sabrina.”  I hoped that the vamp would be high enough to wrap around and hold in my unusually broad toe girth.

Sabrina

I had some trouble with the measuring process; the instructions describe how to trace one’s foot on a flat piece of paper, then measure from heel to toe.  I consistently got two separate readings, with about half a centimeter’s difference.  I traced and retraced, measured and re-measured.  Finally I chose a happy medium, and added a meticulous verbal description of how I’m an 8 or 8.5 in length, but often have to buy size 9 shoes that are too long for me in order to obtain the proper width, so that I’m not entirely sure which size I actually am.  I also wanted a tapering “pencil” heel rather than the one pictured.  I asked for confirmation, whether my directions were clear, and got ready to wait.

I was prepared to wait a long time, having read the many Shoe Diva testimonials; but in the meantime my old Very Fine shoes were growing so battered that I was afraid they might give way in a good drag, and leave me scraping my foot against the floor.

old Very Fine pair

I cajoled my reluctant Italian shoe doctor into gluing patches onto my failing dance shoes, sent periodic e-mails to the sales team in Argentina, and desperately hoped the delivery time would be closer to the promised 4-6 weeks than the 2-3 months experienced by fellow Divas.  And miraculously—it was!  I received the shoes almost exactly 6 weeks after I ordered them, with pencil heel exactly as specified.  But do they fit?  Mostly.

It seems that Tango Wear sent me a size 9, and even so they’re a wee bit too narrow (the picture shows how my foot hangs out just a bit over the top of the vamp), and are also slightly too long so that the jaunty little heel cage gapes at the back, unless I’m fully flexing my foot.  Also I’ve found that my foot occasionally pulls right out of the vamp mid-tanda, which necessitates an inelegant pause for readjustment.  So—would I order from them again?  Probably.  I’d specify a half-size smaller, a vamp style that’s just a little higher, and perhaps a cross-strap or a t-strap to keep the vamp in place more securely.  They are also much less stable than my old pair, but this is undoubtedly related to the fact that they’re substantially higher.

Someday if I can 1) afford, and 2) find a wide-enough pair of Comme il Fauts, then I’m curious to see how their legendary quality and balance measures up.  In the meantime, my new Tango Wear shoes are fulfilling what I need them to now:  they are dressy enough that I no longer feel like a vagabond tanguera, yet basic and versatile enough to go with most of my outfits.  And the latticed heel is still cute, even if slightly baggy.  Until a more lucrative period of my life, they’re doing the trick.

There is one sporting event that I eagerly await every 4 years (which is 3 years too long, in my opinion) and basically schedule my work and  life around- and that is the World Cup. I played soccer for 8 years and my brother played it for longer. My dad coached us. For us, soccer truly is “the beautiful game”. When South Korea hosted the WC in 2002, my brother and I got up at 4 in the morning everyday to watch the matches live. In 2006, we were in the Virgin Islands, and while my mom complained that she wanted to go the beach, my brother, dad, and I didn’t go anywhere until we watched the games. This year, I bought a DVR just to record all the games. I LOVE THE WORLD CUP.

Today is my 24th birthday, and I’m sitting here in bed watching the Netherlands versus Brazil quarterfinal match (and rooting for the Netherlands because they are the underdogs compared to the Imperial Dynasty of Soccer that is  Brazil) and browsing my birthday messages on Facebook and also looking at tango shoes because, let’s face it, when do I not look at those? And I happen to  come across THE pair. You know what I’m talking about. That pair of shoes that just catches your eye and you think to yourself, “Oh my God. I have to have those  RIGHT NOW”.

I have not experienced a moment like this in awhile. Ms. Muniz and Ms. Coltrinari have just not been impressing me with their last few lines of shoes- many of them have been “Oh, that’s cute, can I justify getting that pair? Nah” kind of shoes, not “MUST HAVE” kind of shoes.  If you will recall, I lusted after a striped T-strap pair of Comme il Fauts that had long sold out and have never been able to find them since.

Where are you??

For some reason, these stripes SPEAK to me. I don’t really understand it, but I must get my hands on a pair of CiFs that are striped (or “Rayos” as all the websites that sell CiF like to describe them in Spanish in order to maintain some modicum of authenticity. As a Spanish speaker, I must say it works about half the time). And here they are, casually hanging out at the bottom of JuliaBella’s website.

So the moment of Must-Have hits me during the game and my attention is diverted, which is no easy task because the Dutch are putting up quite a fight and the Brazilians are getting angry and losing their composure and yellow cards are being handed out like candy- it’s an intense game! But JuliaBella has this shoe and IN MY SIZE. I whip out my MasterCard and fill out the online order form because I am justifying this as my birthday present to myself. I hit “Place Order”.  Suddenly, a window pops up that says my billing address doesn’t match my card. WHAT?! I try different addresses (my nomadic existence as a college student entails many addresses), to no avail. I try to log in to my online card account, only to get locked out because I mixed up my pin numbers. I don’t have time for this! I look at the JuliaBella website and, Lord have mercy, my shoes are gone. Is that because they are in my online shopping cart or because somebody bought them? PANIC.  Suddenly, the Netherlands/Brazil game is completely out of my mind- and tango shoes are apparently the ONLY thing that can do that to me.

I call ING and talk to a very nice gentleman who unlocks my account and changes my billing address, but when he tries to get me to open a savings account, I wave him off because I am “kind of in a rush”.  I quickly put in the correct address, and hit “Place Order” again, and fervently hope that another  message doesn’t pop up saying something devastating like “These shoes are no longer available”. And then, my order confirmation loads, and  I feel ecstatic, overwhelmed, VICTORIOUS, almost as emotional as I was when Landon Donovan scored that epic US goal versus Algeria in injury time. Almost. (I cried during that game. Don’t judge me).

And so, I  impatiently wait for the shoes to come in the mail.  Behold, my victorious birthday shoes that distracted me from the World Cup:

Stripes!

PS. The Netherlands just defeated No. 1-ranked Brazil in one of the biggest upsets of this World Cup. It’s a good day.