A Guide to Shopping Online for Irish Dance Shoes

Hi dance parents!

Here’s a guide to shopping for Irish dance shoes online. Every brand has its own sizing, so finding a good fit can be challenging.

For newer dancers whose feet are growing quickly, we recommend brands on Amazon like Ryan and O’Donnell or Medusa Enterprises LLC. These shoes are relatively affordable and can typically be returned if they don’t fit. 

Once you get a feel for what you're looking for (and you feel more confident that your child really likes dance and it isn't just a short-lived phase, haha), that's when we recommend moving on to the higher-quality brands.

A good option for soft shoes (which are also called “ghillies” or “pumps”) is Fay. Here is the link for Fays soft shoes.

If your dancer needs hard shoes (also known as “heavies”), we recommend Rutherford. This company is known for their amazing hard shoes. Link: Shop see— Rutherford Products.

Here are some recommendations for different types of feet. For wide feet, we recommend Rutherford’s Flexi shoes. For narrow feet, we recommend Fay’s Ultra Flexi found here Fays Ultra Flexi with Black Suede Sole.

Here’s a website where you can find many different brands in one place Keilys.com

One last thing you should know is that shoes labeled as being for advanced or intermediate dancers tend to be higher quality and more comfortable, but more expensive. Don’t let these prices scare you, because there are a lot of affordable options out there. It just depends on what you’re looking for in a dance shoe.

That being said, be careful when you find suspiciously cheap dance shoes on second-hand websites (Ebay, Mercari, Depop, etc.)  

These shoes can be low-quality and glued together.

You can absolutely find good deals on those websites, but keep an eye out for these two red flags:

• Only one or two grainy or blurry photos, which can hide flaws or damage

• Very low prices– it’s entirely possible that these shoes have a lot of wear and not much life left in them

Just to be safe, you can message the seller and ask a few questions. Ask if there’s any damage, how much wear they have, and if they can send additional, more detailed photos. 

Facebook Marketplace is also a great resource. Since you typically meet in person to pick up the item, you can inspect the shoes for damage.

How to find a good size for your dancer

Regardless of whether you’re purchasing brand-new or second-hand shoes, going to the brand’s website is the way to go! The brand’s website will have a size chart to help you find the right shoe size. Place a measuring tape on the floor, and have your dancer stand on top of it so his or her heel lines up with the end of it. Find where your dancer’s toe ends and write down the number. Allow an extra ¼ of an inch (or slightly more) for a more comfortable fit. When in doubt, go a size up! This will allow for some growing room.

If you have any questions, we’d be happy to answer them for you!

Quick note- we do not receive any commission or benefits from the links we've shared here. The products and brands we've included are ones that we personally use and recommend to dancers.

You can send an email to dancewithpida@gmail.com or text 571-358-8344.