Triallta Irish Dance Company — Chicago & Southwest Suburbs, Illinois

Dancers’ Resources

Irish Dance Shoes

Please note that Irish dance shoes are often in UK/Irish sizes, even by American distributors. Check Diochra.com's Shoe Size Conversion Chart to figure out your size.

Girls’ Softshoes – Ballet Slippers & Ghillies

An introductory dancer typically starts out with black ballet slippers, and does not need Irish dancing ghillies right away. Your instructor will inform you when ghillies are preferred; this is not usually until the second year of dancing.

• Payless Shoesource – Black ballet slippers (toddler/youth)
• Payless Shoesource – Black ballet slippers (adult)
• DiscountDance.com for black ballet slippers

Though it is not absolutely required, we prefer that shoes have a black suede sole as it gives the foot a much prettier point and professional look than a tan leather sole, especially when the dancer is wearing black tights. A few types of suede-soled shoes include:

• Corr’s Economy/Practice Ghillie – At $30, the most affordable high-quality suede-sole ghillie Ashley has found on the market.
• Antonio Pacelli’s Eclipse at the Ballinvilla website
• Additional softshoes at the Ballinvilla website

Boys’ Softshoes – Jazz Shoes & Reel Shoes

Black ballet slippers can be worn for softshoes, though older boys have come to wear jazz shoes for the light Irish dances. At W Dance Studio, Lisa stocks the slip-on jazz shoes that Triallta prefers.

Once boys reach Intermediate level, they may wear reel shoes. Reel shoes are like jazz shoes with a heel (like on hardshoes) attached for clicks and stomps.

• Slip-On Jazz Bootie – Child and Adult
• DiscountDance.com for Jazz Shoes
• Corr’s Mens/Boys Jazz & Reel Shoes
• Rutherford Reel Shoe at Ballinvilla

Hardshoes

Hardshoes – shoes with toe and heel pieces – are not typically needed until the second or third year. The instructors will help fit a dancer with hardshoes.

Once dancers begin hardshoe lessons and wish to purchase proper shoes, we will likely take foot tracings or invite a local vendor to class for proper in-person fittings.

Like our softshoes, we prefer black suede soles. We like Corr’s low-heeled Super-Flexi or Rutherford flexis, as they allow a dancer to stay high on the ball of the foot. Many beginner hardshoe soles are too tough to allow a dancer to raise their heel as high off of the floor as desired.

Please do not purchase the Innisfree Beginner Hardshoe that is found here and at many Irish import stores. While less expensive than better shoes, it is a tough-to-break-in, plastic-feeling shoe the teachers do not like.

More hardshoes can be found at Ballinvilla’s website .

• Corr’s Eco-Flexi™ Economy Hard Shoe — At $99, the most affordable high-quality suede-sole hardshoe Ashley has found on the market.

Irish Dance “Hardshoe” Sneakers

They do exist! Perfect for dancers who deal with aches and pains. “The Corr’s Evolution™ is the world’s first dance sneaker designed specifically for the Irish dancer! Corr’s has combined the soft and flexible upper and split-sole design of a dance sneaker with elements of its hard shoes – including traditional heel and toe tips, padded insocks, flexible insole support, and padded and breathable linings – to create this exciting new product…an Irish dancer’s dream practice shoe! Its design also includes extra eyelets at the collar for a more secure fit.”

Purchasing Shoes

There are a few Irish import stores around that carry Irish dancing shoes, including South Side Irish Imports in Tinley Park (contact information and a map). There are also many online vendors that take foot tracings, and local competitions almost always have shoe vendors. Any instructor can help you draw a foot tracing.

We do not allow a dancer to wear shoes that are too big for him or her. Ill-fitting shoes are dangerous. A dancing shoe is an important investment and must fit well in order for a dancer to succeed. Shoes that are not worn out before a dancer outgrows them can be sold to another dancer through Triallta.

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