Shopping for Argentine tango shoes

Tango has the best shoes. They're so gorgeous! A lot of girls develop serious tango shoe habits! I have about 30 pairs of Argentine tango shoes. But in getting those 30 pairs I made a lot of mistakes. Hopefully you can avoid the mistakes I made.

My first piece of advice is not to go too crazy till you've found a brand you're sure you like. Different brands suit different people. Some people are practically married to their Comme Il Fauts, others love their NeoTangos, others prefer something super comfy like Tara Tango Shoes. So start with just one pair, wear them in, see if you like them. If so, then you can buy them in every different color; if not, you can try another brand.

Even once you've found your prefered tango dance shoe brand, it's worth working out which styles and materials you like and don't like. That may sound obvious, but in the beginning I was so excited about all the pretty shoes that I bought loads of pairs and then found that I found some materials too stiff, and that I didn't like slingbacks. I wasted a lot of money in my quest to find the perfect pair of tango shoes for me.

Most tango shoe makers are based in Argentina, of course. That means you often have to shop for tango shoes by mail, which can make things a bit tricky. There may be a supplier near you where you can try shoes on, but if not there's a bit of trial and error – you can't be sure of the size, and sometimes things don't look quite the same in real life as in a photo. When you're shopping online or by mail, it's a good idea to check the store's returns policy. Some Argentine tango shoe stores take returns happily, but others don't, or they may charge a small fee, and of course the postage can be expensive.

If you're buying tango shoes from Argentina, bear in mind that Argentina exists in a different time zone in more ways than one! Don't expect things to reach you quickly. If you're posting returns, always take insurance, because delivery in Argentina is a very haphazard affair.

That having been said, the sales people are usually very friendly and happy to help, so don't be afraid to ask lots of questions. They can also be very helpful with sizing – see my article on tango shoe sizes and sizing for details.