For Dance Students and Sole Mates:
Resources, Links, and Geeked-Out Ideas for Creating the Perfect Sean-nós Dance Shoe
by Kieran Jordan
August, 2008
Traditionally, people danced sean-nós (and indeed, all of Irish dancing) in their work boots and everyday shoes. Although I love to dance in my bare feet, sneakers, and clogs, I believe that it IS worth investing in a pair of good supportive leather shoes if you are dancing and practicing regularly. For sean-nós Irish dance, a smooth, hard, all-leather sole is recommended. This creates a mellow, rich sound that compliments acoustic instruments, unlike the clattering of contemporary Irish dance shoes, and the high-toned, tinny quality of taps.
Unfortunately, a leather sole may not be as loud as a synthetic (plastic or hard rubber) sole, so the thrift store buys (rather than official "dance shoes") can still be the best finds! But if you need a long-lasting shoe with decent arch support, the shoes I've compiled (see links at left) are good and lasting products.
Once you purchase your leather shoes, here are some ways to make them louder without using metal taps:
- A cobbler can add a second layer of leather on the sole. Try to add this "second sole" on the toe and heel sections, but not right under the arch, otherwise the shoe will get really stiff, making it hard to stand up on the balls of the feet.
- A cobbler can also add toe and heel plates — the small, metal mini-taps that are designed to protect the shoe from wear. This is what a lot of the Irish male sean-nós dancers do. They create a loud sound without being quite as metallic as full taps.
- Ask your trusty cobbler for other suggestions. My guy here in Boston (Morris Shoes, Allston) has added a layer of "neolite," I think it's called. It's loud and stiff, with a decent tone.
For loud heels, a wood heel is nice. The Capezio "Spectator Oxford" has a good wood heel. That particular shoe is discontinued, but can still be found in certain dance stores and through some discount dance catalogues. A plastic heel can work too, especially for a nice sound on the side of the heel. Stacked leather is good quality that will last, but it's not too loud. Most of the shoes I've listed below have stacked leather heels, so again, you may want to add another thin layer of leather, plastic, mini heel-plates, etc. to the bottom of the heel.
The French-Canadian step dancers use fiberglass toes and heels, like the modern Irish step dance shoes. If you like that sound, you can have the fiber glass custom-poured into whatever shoe you like.... sneakers, sandals, etc. The man who does this in Canada is Normand Legault.
For traditional Irish dance shoes, I like working with Fays, in New York. Ask them to shave down the base of the fiberglass toe piece so it is flush with the sole, and so it is 1/4 - 1/2 inch shorter than their standard height.
I'm still wearing my cute black leather shoes that I found in an ordinary shoe store in Cork in 1995. But they are definitely showing signs of wear. Befriend your local cobbler!!
And, experiment. Maybe you like the sound of fiberglass on the heels but plain, double-layer leather on the toes. You can create your own sean-nós dance sound by trying different things. You might end up spending a bit of money to do this, but it’s worth it. Your shoes are your instrument.