My personal experience is suede sole is a little softer than leather sole, but not a lot. Neither is particularly healthier to the dancers’ feet. It is a matter of personal preferences and the need of the dance. I don’t like my sole flexible, and I don’t need that, as I won’t point my toes like dancing ballet.

I have both suede and leather sole tango shoes and I use both. I prefer leather sole just because it’s care free and more convenient. First I don’t need to clean and brush the leather sole regularly. And second, with leather sole, I can wear it all the way to the milonga like a pair of city shoes. But with suede sole, doing that will probably damage your shoes.

Most of the time, leather sole’s performance is just as good as the suede sole. Of course, when you’re dancing on a super slippery floor, suede sole will do a better job, while wearing a pair of leather sole shoes, you will need a bit of water to help.

For the matter of comfort, I think people should try the shoes before buying them. The best tango shoes shoes are those you tried and felt comfortable for you, be it high heels or low heels, leather or suede sole, tango brand or non-tango brand.

Hope it helps.

Royce

I dance on the balls of my feet most of the time (as a follower) with a nice soft and flexible latin shoes with 2 inches heels for almost 4 years. Now I think it’s the time for me to buy a so called “real tango shoes” with a higher heels around 3 inches. Since I have never tried on a pair of tango shoes with either leather or suede sole, I can’t make my mind to purchase one online in the risk of making mistakes (this is probably the necessary process of experience, but after all, a pair of tango shoes is pretty costy especially after the shipping cost added if ordering from Argentina or other South American countries).

I have learned that suede sole give the most flexibility and provides good floor control. The leather sole is rigid and slides more (for pivoting) but have longer life span.

One thing I am confused about is if followers need to dance on the balls of the feet most of the time, would it be better or HEALTHIER to have a more flexible sole made of suede? Or, the rigid leather sole provides better arch support?

I saw “Mr. Tango shoes” website have many options to add on the shoes such as “arch support”, “double cushionings”, “single cushionings”, “orthopetic cushioning”, and “platform” etc. Each add costs additional money. So the cost of a pair of shoes could end up closed to Comme il Faut.

The health of the feet is my most concern. Everything else comes the second. I wonder the shoe makers like “Mr. Tango Shoes” would actually make better shoes if customers select all these options it provides. Or, does its quality actually come the same as the well know Comme il Faut, which includes all the features that “Mr. Tango Shoes” listed distinguishly?

I have no preference or prejudice on either suede or leather sole. However, could the traditional leather sole serves the HEALTH of the dancers’ feet? Or, the more flexible suede sole does? Any comments and advices are appreciate.

I don’t think there is any one rule of comfort when it concerns feet. The “perfect” shoe for one person can be a nightmare for another. Some people swear by thin cork platforms, I like to feel the floor, but use a Dr. Scholls cushion for the ball of my foot. Some people like open toes, others closed toes. For people with weak or fallen arches, lower heels may be necessary. Even the choice of upper sole (leather, pleather, suede, satin, etc.) is individual.

I also think any comfortable shoe is a good dancing shoe, and labeling it a “tango” shoe is more of a marketing gimmick than actual structure. I only have about 5 pairs of actual “tango” shoes; the rest are “street” shoes which have stood up to the test of both abuse and comfort while dancing tango.

Ballroom shoes are definitely constructed differently, however. They tend to be much lighter, much softer, and less structured. And they almost always have suede soles.

When buying tango shoes in North America that are unknown brands in Argentina, I am concerned that I’m being sold what is in fact only a ballroom shoe, ie a shoe with a longer shank. I discovered also that tango shoes made in Uruguay (Tara Tango) do not have a shorter ‘tango’ shank.

Another concern I have is that online tango shoe sellers outside Argentina never state on their websites where their tango shoes are made. Origin of these shoes is also not stamped anywhere on the shoe. So, I e-mailed a few sellers before buying shoes, asking them in which country their tango shoes are made. Although American e-tailers are usually more than happy to answer queries about products, not one online American tango shoe seller answered this very important question.

Knowing where shoes are made aids buying decisions because different countries use different manufacturing methods, some superior and bedded in tradition, others indulging in the cheapest methods, shortcuts and materials. Why pay $200. for shoes made in China (worth $40. at most in quality terms) when for around the same price you can buy Italian or Spanish street shoes of careful construction and fine materials? Ditto Asian versus Argentine tango heels. Our feet deserve careful buying decisions, and therefore we need more complete information before we buy tango shoes.

Why is it that all street shoes bear a stamp of their country of manufacture but non-Argentine tango heels do not? Why aren’t tango shoe buyers demanding the same level of integrity and information from their tango shoe sellers? Surely, caring for our feet includes knowing where our tango shoes are being made. Something this obvious should automatically be disclosed to us without our even having to ask! Only then can tango shoe buyers know if, in general, the price of a specific pair of shoes matches prevailing and traditional standards of craftsmanship within a given country. Without this vital information, we cannot know whether we are buying quality or junk that ‘looks like’ a tango shoe.

Finally, in respect of your saying that tango shoes have no platform, I wonder what you make of Tara Tango Shoes selling a few styles of tango heels that have a cork platform that is supposed to soften up and bend after a few wearings. I don’t know if these shoes work or not.