Swing Dance Shoes
Often times, authentic vintage shoes - even those kept in good condition - can be nearly disintegrating after 50 plus years, so it may be easier to find vintage inspired shoes. Additionally, vintage or vintage-inspired may or may not be comfortable to dance in. Here are the most common places to find swing dance shoes that also look vintage.
*Dance Store
*Bleyers
*Bloch
http://bleyershoes.com/swingin-and-rockin
*Also try Zappos
*Also try Ebay
*Remix Vintage Shoes
http://www.remixvintageshoes.com
*Carolina Dancewear
1627 New Garden Road
Greensboro, NC 27410
(336) 856-9983
http://www.carolinadancewear.com
An asterick (*) donates that the store also carries men's vintage, vintage-inspired, and/or swing dance shoes.
Tips:
Sneakers, Keds, or any other shoe can also be "chromed" or have suede put on the bottom. You can do this yourself or have a cobbler do it for you. Sometimes, only one half of the shoe is chromed (just the ball of the foot). Additionally, some people use masking tape to temporarily "chrome" the bottom of their shoes. Another temporary option is adhesive felt which is about a dollar per sheet at craft stores and usually comes in white and black among other colors. Just cut a small piece and put it on the ball of your show. Duct tape is not recommended because it leaves sticky resi-goo!