Jazz Shoe Shopping is the Bane of my Existence

Of all the dance shoes, it seems that shopping for jazz shoes is the worst. One would think that since jazz shoes are a kind of a combo between ballet and tap shoes that it would be simple, but somehow, that is definitely not the case. Here are the list of jazz shoes that I've tried and what bothered me about them. I've provided links below, because hey, they might work for you. To each their own.

Here are a few different ones. I probably would find a problem with all of them (credit: Adobe Stock)

1. Bloch Adult "Elasta Bootie" Slip-On Jazz Boot

   The soles on these are rubber, so I found turning in these extremely difficult. Also, I found the fact that the toe and the heel did not have a pad of any sort bizarre. Instead, they just had a differently textured area on both spots. This leads them to wear down quickly and any advantage you might get from having that extra texture there is quickly erased.

   
   

2. So Danca Women's "Jill" Split Sole Canvas Jazz Shoes

   I thought I was going to love these. I am a big fan of their ballet shoes. The canvas was just weird. It was both too tight (around the top of the foot) and too loose (around the toes), so it just made my foot look floppy and lazy. They weren't absolutely terrible, but they weren't super great either.

   
   

3. Bloch Adult "Super Jazz" Slip-On Jazz Shoes

   These had similar problems to the other Bloch jazz shoes, namely the rubber soles making them difficult to turn in along with the odd textured area on the ball and heel. The heel also felt very hard from inside the shoe. These were at least kind of comfortable with the elastic on top, but that's the best thing I can say about them.

   
   

4. Russian Pointe Motion Jazz Shoes

   I bought these on a recommendation of one of my classmates. Unfortunately, I did not share her enthusiasm for them. They were the most expensive of the bunch and I probably liked them the least. There were spots on the inside of the shoe that would irritate my toes and somehow, though the front of the shoe fit well around the ball of my foot, the heel had a tendency to slip off. Ugh.

   
   
   
   

   So, what am I looking for in a jazz shoe exactly? I think the first thing I want is for it to be very snug around the foot. It should fit much like a ballet shoe and have a similar flexibility, as well as complement your foot. Second, I need a good deal of cushion in my jazz shoe. I try to get ballet shoes with some cushion as well, which is kind of hard to come by, but I quite like the So Danca Women's "Bliss" Split Sole Stretch Canvas Ballet Shoes. Finally, I need a shoe that won't stick to the floor when I try to turn in it. Smooth turns are vital.

   
   

   I really don't think that this is too much to ask of my jazz shoes. So far, though, it has been elusive. If I ever succeed in finding a jazz shoe that works, I will let you know.