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How to Make Shoes Slippery for Dancing

Shoes that have slippery soles are the best for dancing. They’ll help you glide effortlessly and not have to constantly go up against the friction. If your current dancing shoes aren’t slippery enough to make for enjoyable dance sessions, read on because we have found foolproof ways to make your shoes slippery for dancing.

How can you make shoes slippery for dancing? There is more than one way, depending a lot on the material used to make your shoe’s sole. We’ll look at these methods in-depth in just a moment.

Fast Shoes Vs Slow Dance Shoes

When do you say a pair of shoes are fast? And when are they slow? These terms are used by dancers to describe how slippery a shoe is.

If the shoe is slippery and glides smoothly on the dance floor without excessive resistance from the floor, the shoe can be described as fast. But when shoes don’t move naturally and require extra effort to go against the friction, then they’re described as slow shoes.

You can turn your slow shoes into fast ones if you decide to. For your safety as a dancer, ensure that you know the techniques of moving on a fast dance floor in fast shoes to avoid falling. While still learning to move on fast floors, you may want to stick with slow shoes in the meantime.

What determines whether your shoes are fasts or not? Mainly, it depends on the sole. The soles of your shoes, whether they’re rubber, leather, or any other material, will affect how slippery they are on the dance floor.

DIY is absolutely possible in making your slow shoes slippery. There are easy, fast, and cheap methods that you can use. Of course, to reduce the bother about making your shoes more slippery, you can just buy a pair of professional dancing shoes. But if you have a pair of favorite shoes that aren’t fast, we’ve got you covered on what to do.

Make Your Shoes Slippery with these Methods

These first two methods work best for rubber soles.

Slippery Shoes for Dancing

1. The Sandpaper Method

The sandpaper method is very simple, but you’re required to follow instructions in order to get the best results. The principle behind this method is reducing friction between the floor and your feet. This method works perfectly for hard sole rubber, especially if they’re new.

Step 1: Clean all over the shoes, especially the soles with a damp towel. Ensure that dirt, sand, and other undesirable materials are removed from the sole.

Step 2: Scrub the sole gently with sandpaper. You’ll need to be firm and do it continuously in order to make fewer air spaces available in the sole.

Step 3: Wear the shoes and find a sandy terrain that you can step on them with. Do this as thoroughly as possible. Otherwise, you can scrub it against a rough surface.

The end result will be that your shoes will have less friction and will slide better on the dance floor.

2. The Olive Oil Method

To use the olive oil method, you’ll need coarse sandpaper, olive oil, damp cloth, and a paper towel. This method is also great for rubber soles. Follow these steps to use this method to make your shoes more slippery.

Step 1: Clean your shoes’ soles to remove dirt and any debris that might have stuck to the surface.

Step 2: Rub sandpaper on the sole. Go firmly, in small concentric circles. Do this very carefully, as if you’re forming a pattern on the sole of the shoe. The time you put into it will be worth it when you’re done. Feel free to take breaks if you get tired halfway.

Step 3: When you have created the circles using sandpaper, put a little amount of olive oil in a paper towel, and use this to clean off the rubber shavings from the shoe.

Step 4: It’s time to put the olive oil properly now. Using a clean paper towel, rub olive oil into the sole of the shoe such that instead of air, what you have filled up the spaces is oil. This will make your shoes very slippery and you can dance better.

3. The Stick-on Suede Soles Method

The stick-on suede soles method is straightforward. You’ll need to purchase the stick-on suede from a supply store or your local cobbler’s workshop.

The stick-on suede sole is also called low-friction sole and can be bought online. If you buy one that has already been cut to size, all you need do is wipe off the dirt from your shoes’ soles and then stick on the ready-made soles.

If you buy one that’s not yet cut, you can cut it out yourself by tracing your shoe’s shape on the stick-on sole. When you have cut out the sole, stick it onto your shoes and you have your dancing shoes ready.

4. The Moleskin Method

This is similar to the method we just discussed. If you don’t want to use a stick-on suede sole, you can purchase moleskin at the first-aid section of any pharmacy. The moleskin is also great for reducing friction and can help keep your shoes slippery for dancing.

5. The Gaffer Tape Method

The gaffer tape is a versatile adhesive that’s made out of heavy cotton cloth. It is used for a wide variety of purposes, and thankfully, making shoes slippery for dancing is one of its functions. Since it’s a tape rolled up, you’d need to stick it onto the sole of your shoes until you have covered the entire surface. Ensure that you cut out the excesses when you’re done.

6. Give it to a Cobbler

In fact, one of the best ways to get your shoes to become more slippery is to give them to a professional cobbler. Although it’ll cost you more than the DIY methods, you’ll most like get better and more permanent results when you let a professional handle it for you.

Can I Use Any Kind of Oil to Make My Shoes More Slippery for Dancing?

Other oils are not recommended. Olive oil is best for making the sole of your shoe slippery. Other options like mink oil and coconut oil may not be bad, but it’s best to consult your local cobbler before making your final decision.

You may have learned from the above methods that how to make shoes more slippery for dancing, but if you want to know how to keep shoes from slipping off the heel, then must read this post.

Is the process reversible?

No, it’s not. You must consider it very well if you really want to make your shoes more slippery before you do it, because once you do, you won’t be able to reverse that process

Dance with Ease

Following your passion is important, and if you love dancing, then you should do it well. Use these methods to make your shoes more slippery to enjoy easier and graceful dancing. You don’t have to buy a new pair of shoes if you don’t want to. Cheers to you.

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