Flamenco shoes
Encyclopedia
Flamenco shoes are a type of shoe
worn by flamenco
dancers. The quality of the shoes worn can significantly affect a dancer's
performance. Wearing the right flamenco shoes and flamenco skirt
is considered to be vital for the quality of the performance.
In choosing the right flamenco shoe one needs to take the following into consideration: Colour (most common is black or red), Material (leather
or suede
), Heel
type (standard, carrete, cubano), Heel size (4 cm to 7 cm), Nails (most flamenco shoes come with nails on the toe and heel but some dancers may chose to have them without nails depending on the practice surface).
There are different types of shoes for different levels of experience. They vary from Amateur, which are for beginners, to Elite and in some rare cases Ultimate, which are made for accomplished flamenco performers. In between, one can find semi-professional or professional models depending on the level of experience.
There are many popular brands such as Flamencista and Gallardo but there are many independent workshops in Spain that produce flamenco shoes for generations.
Shoe
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture to culture, with appearance originally being tied to function...
worn by flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
dancers. The quality of the shoes worn can significantly affect a dancer's
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
performance. Wearing the right flamenco shoes and flamenco skirt
Flamenco skirt
-Types of Flamenco Skirts:There are broadly two types of flamenco skirts, these being Performance flamenco skirts and Practice flamenco skirts. Performance skirts, which are suitable for dance performances, tend to be made of more expensive material and have a more impressive look, due to the...
is considered to be vital for the quality of the performance.
In choosing the right flamenco shoe one needs to take the following into consideration: Colour (most common is black or red), Material (leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
or suede
Suede
Suede is a type of leather with a napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, shirts, purses, furniture and other items. The term comes from the French "gants de Suède", which literally means "gloves of Sweden"....
), Heel
Heel (shoe)
A heel is the projection at the back of a shoe which rests below the heel bone. The shoe heel is used to improve the balance of the shoe or for decorative purposes. Sometimes raised, the high heel is common to a form of shoe often worn by women but sometimes by men too. See also stiletto heel.-...
type (standard, carrete, cubano), Heel size (4 cm to 7 cm), Nails (most flamenco shoes come with nails on the toe and heel but some dancers may chose to have them without nails depending on the practice surface).
There are different types of shoes for different levels of experience. They vary from Amateur, which are for beginners, to Elite and in some rare cases Ultimate, which are made for accomplished flamenco performers. In between, one can find semi-professional or professional models depending on the level of experience.
There are many popular brands such as Flamencista and Gallardo but there are many independent workshops in Spain that produce flamenco shoes for generations.