Getting the right size for a new Irish Dancing Shoes can pose a challenge, particularly when trying a new style, brand, or you are new to Irish Dance. Our aim is to streamline this process for you, thus we encourage you to utilize this guide to ensure you acquire the right fit effortlessly.
How to Measure Foot Size
01 For a more accurate measurement, we advise measuring your feet in the evening while wearing a pair of Irish dance socks, the ones you would typically wear with the shoes. Feet tend to swell throughout the day, so you may obtain a slightly larger size in the evening
02 Tape a piece of A4 paper up against a wall so that the edge of the paper touches the wall.Taping it would prevent the papaer to slip.
03 Place your foot on the paper and put your heel up against the wall. Make sure the paper didn't move.
04 With a pen or a pencil, draw a line at the logest point of the foot, or ask somebody to help you doing this.
05 Now, take the paper and using a ruler, make a straight line to the longest point marked on the paper. To make sure that the line is straight, check that the bottom line of the ruler follows the line of the sheet
06 Using that ruler, take the measurement of the line. That is the measurement of your feet to determine the shoes size. For the most precise measurement, consider using a ruler with centimeters, rather than inches
07 Please repeat the process with the another feet, as it’s common for a person’s feet to be two slightly different sizes. If that's the case, use the bigger measurement to get the shoe size.
How to Find Your Dance Shoe Size
Now that you have your measurements, you can check the size chart on the product page you want to buy, and compare the measurements with the sizes provided.
It probably won't match your size exactly but look for the closest ones. So, if your measurement is between 2 size:
- Go for the smaller one- ONLY if you are an advance dancer, have a narrow fit or you like the shoes to be a tight fit.
- Go for the larger ones- in all other cases, or especially if you have a wider foot or a high instep. If you have a very wide foot, you van go even 1 size up.
If you are still unsure which size from 2 of them, consider getting both sizes to see which fits better and then return the other size to us.
Please note that while this method is a good way of assessing the correct size, we cannot guarantee that this method will deliver the correct size in 100% of cases. The shape of a dancer's foot is unique, and while two dancers may have the same foot length, they may need different shoe sizes. This is beacuse of different foot measurements, as arch, instep, width, and other particularieties, but also because of different fit prefferences and dancing experience of the dancer.
Why do the soft shoes appear smaller than the measurements provided on the size guide?
The measurements on the size guide do not directly correspond to the length of the pumps. Instead, they indicate the recommended foot lengths for each pump size.
The actual length of the ghillies will typically be smaller than the measurements on the size guide. This adjustment is necessary because we consider two important factors when fitting new pumps: the dancer's toes should be slightly curled, and the pumps will naturally stretch during the initial wears.
Thus, the length of the pump is intentionally smaller than the measurement in the size guide to accommodate these factors effectively.
It's important to note that if your toes are not slightly curled, the pumps may be too large. Initially, pumps should fit snugly to facilitate stretching around the foot, forming a good arch profile and point. The extent of toe curl depends on various factors such as the dancer's level, presence of any injuries, and individual preferences. While beginners or recreational dancers may prefer a slightly looser fit, advanced dancers or those attending classes typically benefit from a tighter fit.
If you're uncertain about the fit, we highly recommend bringing your pumps to your next dance class and seeking advice from your Irish dance teacher. It's common for teachers to assess pumps as a perfect fit, even if parents initially perceive them as too small.