Dance gear guides from someone who actually teaches.
Which shoe each class really needs, how everything is sized, and which best sellers to skip. Written by a studio owner, for dance parents everywhere.
Shoes by style
Every style covered-
Guide ready
Ballet
Canvas or leather, split sole or full. What dress codes actually ask for, and why the best seller is often the wrong buy. -
Guide ready
Tap
Bow-tie patent for the little ones, lace-up oxford for everyone after that. -
Guide ready
Hip hop
A clean indoor sneaker that never goes outside, and why school trainers are not allowed. -
Guide ready
Jazz
Tan slip-ons that fit like a sock, and why buying room to grow backfires. -
Guide ready
Lyrical & contemporary
Canvas half-soles, sized by foot length. One pair covers both classes. -
Guide ready
Acro
No shoes at all, and that is the requirement rather than a shortcut. What to wear instead. -
Guide ready
Musical theatre
Character shoes, which heel height to start in, and why they fit closer to street size.
Clothing and kit
What they wear to every class-
Guide ready
Leotards
Sized by girth, not by age. How many you need, and why black outlasts everything else. -
Guide ready
Tights
What convertible tights are for, which colour your studio expects, and how to stop them laddering. -
Guide ready
Dance bag & hair
The whole list of what belongs in the bag, and how to do a ballet bun in two minutes.
The best-selling ballet shoe on Amazon is leather. Many studios require canvas.
Search “ballet shoes for girls”, buy the top result, and you may well have bought a shoe your studio does not allow. Checking your dress code before you order saves a return. How to read a dress code
Dress codes 101
Most studios ask for much the same thing: a leotard, tights for recital, and one specific shoe per style. What varies is the shoe’s material and colour, and that is the part to check before you buy. Erin’s own studio dress code is included as a worked example.
See a real dress code, class by class →On sizing
Nothing in dance is sized the way street clothes are. Shoes run small, tights go by height and weight, and leotards go by girth. Every guide says exactly how that item runs, and a local fitting for a first pair of shoes is always worth it.