President Mike Herring of UVA's Swing Dance Club recently sent out a quite insightful email about shoe options for swing dancing. We would like to share his suggestions with you because they are exactly the answers many of you are looking for. Enjoy, and thanks Mike!

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OPTION 1: TAPE [$]

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Yes, duct tape can do anything! Simply get an old pair of shoes and some duct tape. Anything will do, even old sneakers, but Keds and Vans work particularly well. In high school I used an old pair of gym shoes.

Put the tape on the soles vertically from heel to toe and make sure it's nice and flat so it won't catch and peel off. Walk around on the dance floor a bit to make sure the adhesive is stuck on really well before you start dancing. It will start out a little sticky, but after you dance for a while you'll wear down the tape's texture so it'll be smoother. You can also use masking tape, but this comes off easier and it's REALLY slick. Taped shoes will last a few months and then you'll have to replace the tape.

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OPTION 2: SUEDE [$$]

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If you want to go a step above duct tape, you can try putting suede on your shoes. This will last you a year or two, and then you'll probably have to have to do it again. The first option is to take your shoes (again I recommend Keds or Vans) to a good shoe repair shop and ask to have them chromed with suede. This usually runs about $30 per pair.

The other option is to do it yourself. You can buy leather suede (a.k.a. chrome tanned leather) at shoe repair shops, fabric stores, or craft stores. You can also use faux suede or felt which are cheaper, or Ultrasuede which is more durable but more expensive. Trace and cut the material to approximately the right size, glue it on the sole with rubber cement, then trim the edges. Here's a good link that goes into more detail:

• DIY Swing Shoes: http://www.gottadance.org/DIY_suede_soles.shtml

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OPTION 3: SWING SHOES [$$$]

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The best shoes will be comfortable and supportive with a smooth sole of suede or hard leather, but not so slick that you'll be falling all over the place. If you really want some high quality fancy-shmancy swing shoes, go with Aris Allen's or Bleyer's. Both are excellent, though Bleyer's tend to be a bit more expensive because they're imported from Europe. I use Aris Allen brown and white wingtips, and they are awesome! Here are some websites with more information about these shoes and how to buy them:

• Aris Allen website: http://www.arisallen.com/
• Bleyer website: http://www.bleyer.com/
• SwingDanceShop (Bleyer retailer): http://www.swingdanceshop.com/combacbleysh.html
• DanceStore (Aris Allen retailer): http://www.dancestore.com/

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MORE INFO

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Here are some good general FAQs about swing shoes:

• Orlando Swing - Dance Shoe Guide: http://orlandoswing.flyinfootwork.com/beginnerguide/shoes.php
• Carleton Rugcutters - Swing FAQ: http://orgs.carleton.edu/rugcutters/faq.html#shoes
• Cheap Dance Shoes FAQ: http://www.gottadance.org/cheap-dance-shoe-FAQ.txt