Aris Allen
Aris Allen - Crisscross 3-buckle Burlesque Pump
**Discontinued - only size 7.5 left, 1 pair**
Call for availability
These are an exact copy of a 1940s Swing-Era dress shoe and have a suede-bottom sole. The nap on the velvet is very short giving it a suede-like appearance.
- This style is a vintage reproduction and features three adjustable buckles that gives the shoe some serious character and allows you to control the fit at your instep and has beautiful cutwork on the vamp.
- Made with flexible suede-bottom soles and heels which are perfect for dancers of all skill levels.
- The footbed is made with soft foam lining so your feet are just as comfortable before and after showing them off in the jam :)
- Aris Allen is known for making vintage style swing dance shoes and reproduction models that are more authentic equipment for dancing swing than ordinary ballroom shoes are. Their philosophy being that your dancing will look more authentic if you wear the same style of shoes the inventors of the dance were wearing.
- Please check the sizing recommendations before placing your order.
- Item #: 451-RD
SPECS:
- The heels are approximately 3” inches (7.5cm) tall and the base of the heel is 1” inch (2.54cm) wide.
SIZING TIPS:
(Our returns show we are right about 90% of the time)
These fit a tiny bit small. Most of our test dancers wore their normal size (if you always wear a 9, but rarely you can wear an 8.5 = you'll probably want a 9). But the ones that were often a smaller size chose the smaller one and tightened the buckles (if you sometimes wear an 8.5 and sometimes a 9 = you'll probably want an 8.5). Because this style is covered in buckles you can customize the width by loosening or tightening them - so you should be able to custom-fit this shoe to your feet.
WIDTH INFO:
- Narrow width: not happy
- Average width: happy
- Wide width: happy
ABOUT SUEDE SOLES:
- These are made with suede soles which are wonderful to dance on but require occasional upkeep (it's usually a problem with catching the edge on a piece of hardwood that is sticking up on the dance floor).
- If you need to re-glue the suede many people just use crazy glue gel. We have also found that commercially produced shoe repair glue (available from the shoe repair shop in your local mall) works great.
- You're not supposed to wear suede soles outside - but every swing dancer knows that you can make suede soles faster by wearing them everywhere to get them dirty, then dance in them until they're shiny on the bottom.
- If you prefer them less zippy you can dull the “mirror finish” they can get by roughing them up with a wire brush periodically. Just remember that when they are wet from walking in the rain they won't spin as easily (conversely - if they're too slippery just spill your drink on the floor and step in it!).
Aris Allen 8072
**Discontinued Model- size 6 and 6.5 only**
Call for available sizes
These Aris Allen Swing Dance Shoes are a perfect copy of a 1930s shoe and have a suede-bottom sole.
- The original was a vintage pair of Ostrich Pumps in caramel brown with light pink ostrich insets made in Paris, France in the 1930s.
- Looks absolutely dead-sexy on the dance floor - has a burlesque feel to it.
- Heeled oxfords have the advantage of looking dressy even though they have shoe laces (which you can tighten for security while dancing in them).
- Aris Allen is known for making vintage style swing dance shoes and reproduction models that are more authentic equipment for dancing swing than ordinary ballroom shoes are. Their philosophy being that your dancing will look more authentic if you wear the same style of shoes the inventors of the dance were wearing.
- Please check the sizing recommendations before placing your order.
- Item #: 8072-BS
SPECS:
- This style, like the original it was copied from, has a round toe.
- The heel is approximately 3” and the insole is quite thick and squishy.
- The Suede Sole is quite flexible and the heel has a suede bottom that won't slow you down when it touches the floor during a spin.
SIZING TIPS:
(Our returns show we are right about 90% of the time)
We find that these run true to size for normal feet, a half size small on wide feet. Because of the ultra-rounded toe box this style fits quite well on most Average width and Wide width feet.
Because this is a Blucher - which means you can customize the width by loosening or tightening the laces - this style should work with most widths.
Most women know which two sizes they fit best (like 6.5 & 7 or 8 & 8.5). To figure out which size you'll fit in these:
- Narrow to Average width = you'll probably wear the larger of the two sizes you usually fit.
- Wide width = you'll probably fit one half size larger than the two sizes you usually fit (and because it is a round toed shoe, once in a while one whole size larger than your normal size). We've seen women with very wide feet look absolutely delicious in this model.
ABOUT SUEDE SOLES:
- These are made with Suede Soles which are wonderful to dance on but require occasional upkeep (it's usually a problem with catching the edge on a piece of hardwood that is sticking up on the dance floor).
- If you need to re-glue the suede many people just use crazy glue gel. We have also found that commercially produced shoe repair glue (available from the shoe repair shop in your local mall) works great.
- You're not supposed to wear suede soles outside - but every swing dancer knows that you can make suede soles faster by wearing them everywhere to get them dirty, then dance in them until they're shiny on the bottom.
- If you prefer them less zippy you can dull the “mirror finish” they can get by roughing them up with a wire brush periodically. Just remember that when they are wet from walking in the rain they won't spin as easily (conversely - if they're too slippery just spill your drink on the floor and step in it!).