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The Evolution Of Jazz Dance Sneakers

AlexGapper | Jun 29, 2010 |

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The music known as Jazz music was traditionally used for tap dance numbers, and indeed it still is much of the time. Jazz music and tap dancing were always been closely associated with African American routines at the height of their popularity from around 1900 to the 1950's. Nonetheless jazz dancing and it's respective footwear took a slightly totally different turn, becoming a modern dance that included segments from ballet and different modern choreographed types. This has required a mix of footwear flexibility combined with the flexibility to carry out a pirouette but at the same time being different from ballet. Later came the need to be able to add rhythmic actions, and after that to integrate hip hop dance moves.

Obviously the footwear that was traditionally used for jazz had to change from the simple black tap shoes to something that would be more suitable for the dancers needs. They needed something that would be acceptable on the dance floor that would be created from soft leather. The modifications required by those involved induced a split in the footwear available. It was no longer essential that black jazz dance sneakers were equipped with taps as a result that they fell under that label "tap shoe".

Shut your eyes for a minute and imagine what Fred Astaire wore and you'll probably think of a pair of black tap sneakers that looked like modern ballroom dance shoes. And that's most frequently what tap dance footwear is about. Tapping. Shoes which can be solid, typically leather-based, that maintain the foot tight and secure and on the underside there are taps to beat to a the rhythm of the music. From flamenco women's heeled designs to male's oxfords that appear to be formal wear - that's tap. Jazz dance footwear on the other hand has developed into a whole new bread of versatile, smooth, unusual and really diverse designs.

The phrases jazz flex and sneaker are now in common usage with manufacturers such as Bloch and Capezio being masters at producing reasonably priced jazz footwear for anyone who would be interested in such things

Having said that you can still find jazz tap shoes from companies like Leo's, with designs like the leather-based Giordano. It has a two part rubber sole to give it flexibility and taps.

Jazz can have an element of tap and vice versa, though there are now a number of different design components and dance traits to think about when you go shopping for the correct footwear for your chosen form of dance.