About footwear

Dear Anand Sir,
Just wanted to clarify --is it important that you wear heels for salsa. Many lady dancers wear flat laced up shoes, on youtube some of them are even wearing flip flops. As long as you do not wear rubber soles because they do not glide and you wear footwear that is laced up at the ankles it should do?
Also want to know what were the difficulties you faced as a beginner and how did you train. How much time should a novice put in everyday?

dance shoes comprise of a flexible base and a suede leather sole.. it should firmly encase your feet with a back support.. training shoes generally have a closed front whereas as club or performance shoes are more dressy with an open front.. its important that they do have a back support to hold your feet firmly in place and that they should ideally have a bit of a heel. it adds to your height and posture.. pumps or flats or ballerina shoes are ok but i dont personally prefer or recommend them. the thumb rule is to get trained in what u would be wearing to a nightclub. and im sure one wouldnt wear flats there..

anand

My two cents, based on the experiences I've seen:

1. With heels girl can take the turns more efficiently. For instance, a reverse turn (or any turn that involves multiple turns) on a fast music can be taken with greater efficiency as compared to flats.
   
2. Since, most of the guys are taller than girls, it adds good Dance-Posture with the partner!