I purchased these Bloch teaching sandals in ballet pink in a size 8. I also bought the Sansha teaching sandals in black in a size 10 (they run small and were awkwardly long and narrow... but that’s another review). After swing dancing in my Capezio 1.5” character shoes for 2 years, I wanted a lower-heeled, but still nice-looking dance shoe, especially since I’m currently learning lindy. All three of these shoes are pictured for reference (the Capezio’s are also a size 8). I also have a pair of Block lace-up jazz shoes (size 8) that I have worn to smithereens. Okay - are you ready? These shoes are SO AMAZING. They fit exactly like my Bloch jazz shoes and took exactly zero minutes to break in. I have a wider foot with a narrow heel, so the fact that these shoes come up around the ball of my feet and don’t rub anywhere is a gift from heaven above. The heel is a perfect height for lindy, swing, and contra (I’ve worn these to dance all of those so far) and they aren’t so tight or short that my toes are crying out by the end of the night. The fact that these are indeed sandals also means your feet can BREATHE. I don’t know why they don’t make more all-leather teaching sandals, because they are the most comfortable shoe I’ve ever danced in. These babies are SUPER soft leather with a cloth lining in the toe (which I love, since it makes them more forgiving than the stiffer leather-lined Sansha’s). The heel is suede-lined, as is the footbed, with the exception of the pink leather piece under your heel. The elastic band on the instep isn’t too tight, even for my extremely high arch and instep, and makes them super easy to get on/off. The sole and heel are suede and provide just enough traction, even on not-so-clean wood floors. Also, the color is exactly what you’d expect ballet pink to be. Not a weird nude, just nice, classic ballet pink. One note about sizing: I usually wear an 8 in street shoes, sometimes an 8.5. I am a true 39, if you use European sizing. My Capezio’s (8M) were a bit snug on me in both length and width, but have stretched over time to be perfect. My Bloch jazz shoes (8M) are a smiiiidge big on me, and if I wanted absolutely ZERO room for my feet to move around, I probably would have purchased a 7.5M in these teaching sandals. Since these are a soft sole (they don’t have any support/stiffness between the ball of your foot and your heel), the sole can bend/arch upward under your arch and take care of any extra length you have in the shoe. However, if you want to wear these sandals WITHOUT nylons and DON’T want them to feel like they’re painted on to your skin, go with [the smaller of] your regular street shoe size[s]. As Fred Astaire sang: “Put on your dancing shoes, stop wasting time; Put on your dancing shoes, watch your spirits climb!”
