How to properly fit dance shoes.
A dancer's most important tool is their feet!  Having the right shoes will ensure comfortable hours of rehearsals & a dynamic performance. 
In all styles dance, the shoe provides vital support and comfort which allows the dancer to feel the floor, making the fit extremely important. To get a correct fit, follow these guidelines:
 
* Ordering Dance Shoes Online - Some amazing deals can be found online for all styles of dance shoes, which can be outrageously expensive.  When ordering dance shoes your "street shoe" size is typically equivalent to your tennis shoe size - if you normally wear an 8 & and 8.5 I would recommend you consider yourself the larger size 8.5

* Teacher Preference - Make certain you know what brand, style # and color of shoes your school requires.  Some teacher require that all dancers look the same for costuming reasons and may require you to purchase an additional pair so you'll have a "clean" pair for performances.

  * Pointe Shoes - Your first pair should be professionally fitted by an authorized dealer

* Not all BRANDS of dance shoes are sized the same - not all STYLES within the same brand run the same size

* Fitting suggestions by manufacturers will be for a "dancer" fit which is snug and may feel too tight for a recreational dancer - professional dancers prefer shoes to fit snug, like a second skin, in order have maximum control.  It is important that there is little or no room at the toes. If the toes do not reach the front of the shoe, the dancer cannot articulate the foot to pointe and they cannot feel the floor. Improperly fitted shoes also make it more difficult for the dancer to learn technique. A dance shoe that is too large may cause the dancer to curl their toes in an effort to keep the shoe on while dancing.  I know from over 20 years of teaching toddlers that new dance moms think ordering a shoe a size larger will allow the child to grow-into the shoe, however this causes the child to have "floppy" shoes and they can trip or even fall in class. 

* Most dance shoes will stretch to conform to a dancers foot whether it is made of leather, leatherette, or another synthetic material.

* Make sure the dancer is wearing the tights or socks they use for dance while trying the shoes on.

* Dance boutiques frown upon customers visiting their shops to only be "fitted" (on other words, ordering shoes from an online competetitor) - some boutiques will charge a fee for you to be measured, which would be a good idea if you are unsure of what size you need.

* Shoe Care - Dance shoes will need to "air out" after wear.  Putting your shoes in a small mesh bag that attaches to the outside of your dance bag will keep you shoes in top condition.

Measuring your foot: Stand & place your foot on a blank piece of paper.  Draw the outline of your foot holding the pencil straight down. Tilting the pencil will cause the measurement to be off.  Measure from heel to the longest toe for LENGTH and across the widest part of the ball of your foot to determine WIDTH.  Please visit our ebay Me Page - International Shoe Size Measurement & Conversion Charts helpful international shoe size conversion charts to see what size you would need in the vairous sizing systems.