To dance you better wear loose fitting, sturdy but flexible shoes, which make you move raft. Certainly no rubber soles, because they cannot rotate or slide. Also no hard leather soles, because then you slide your way. Try a pair of comfortable shoes, and keep this pair that you like to dance only. My first dance shoes do still serve. They were ordinary, comfortable shoes where the shoemaker glued a piece of buffalo leather underneath. If you have the room and don’t know the floor, it is wise to take several pairs of shoes along and try on the spot.

If you decide to keep dancing longer you can look for a pair of real dance shoes. That certainly is worthwhile. They are firm and supple. The sole is made ​​of soft, shaggy buffalo leather. This has both the right grip on the floor as the necessary smoothness to turn. You will notice that your ankles and knees are loaded less, and twisting is much easier. Use them only to dance, so the soles remain intact and you will not bring abrasive stones, etc. back to the dance floor. Dancing is a sport. And appropriate footwear really makes it easier to practice well. That is true for running, cycling etc. And you do not wear your football shoes to go shopping.

Each dance school has also somewhere a bin (cat toilet, litter tray) where you can scratch off with a steel brush the jammed wax under your soles, so they get the proper grip again. (That brush hangs in the bin, or bring your own along.) You scratch from the center of the sole to the outside. So you get less damaged edges, and no long parallel grooves in the outsole. If you advance a piece of gauze or nylon stocking around the brush, thus you can easily later get all dirty paraffin again removed from the brush. For the same use, I have in a dance school even seen a wooden floor mat, which was nailed with reverse crown corks.

A pair of dance shoes will last many years (if you are only dancing with them).

Besides a steel brush I have with my dance outfit also a tea light. Not for romance, but so I always have paraffin at hand. You can rub it, if necessary, under your shoes.

Latin shoes for men usually have a slightly higher heel. For women, there is a choice between a high or low (half) heel. All intermediate sizes are also available. With pointed heels are also some (unobtrusive transparent) set-up parts available that extend the focal point of the heel.
Sometimes a gel pad (or sole, cushion) is laid in the shoe for better weight distribution and to cause less stress. As with other sports, the right shoes for this sport are very important. I usually have three pair of dance shoes in the car, so I can choose depending on the floor a couple to accommodate.

If you purchase or order shoes overseas, for example, over the internet, pay attention to the measurements first. Look at a conversion table, such as http://www.i18nguy.com/l10n/shoes.html

There are still more than those shoe sizes in the selection below. So double check in advance. (Size matters!)...

It is much better if you can fit and dance. Most dance schools organize once a year dancing shoes sale, so far you should not go for it.