Fuego dance shoes review

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I’ve been struggling since starting line dancing with what to wear on my feet. So when I was approached to do a Fuego dance shoes review, I was intrigued to try them out. Fuegos dance sneakers have been mentioned regularly on the line dancing online groups I’m in, so I wanted to see for myself how I got on with them.

My line dancing shoe struggle has been going on since I started classes in January. I have multiple pairs of cuban heel dance sandals from my Ceroc and west coast swing days, but they’re not really suitable for line dancing. My previous dance sneakers by another brand I can’t find – I also didn’t get on very well with the split soles on them. 

I’ve so far been dancing in an old pair of Adidas Gazelles, but they don’t turn very well on one venue floor which is sticky, and aren’t that brilliant even on the wooden floor of the other venue I dance at.

Fuego dance shoes review

The Fuego dance shoes I chose were the low tops.  I didn’t want to risk the split soles as I haven’t found that style of sole comfortable in the past. They also have a wedge boot and a high top boot style. But I really liked the low tops as a type of shoe I’d wear casually with jeans anyway outside of dance.  Generally I’m not a fan of what dance sneakers look like, so the Fuegos are much more my thing, as they look like a normal fashion trainer. 

There are so many colourways and styles, there’s something for everyone. I love the new Blue Jade low tops, and the pretty lavender.  But the white will go with everything (I’m sure my son would be mortified if I ever wear mine out and about with him while he’s in his white normal trainers!). The Fuego fire logo is a nice touch on the heels.

Fuego sizing

I’d heard mixed messages about sizing and wasn’t sure whether to size up.  I usually measure a 6, but in one trainer brand I’ve worn a 7, and boots more recently I’ve needed a 6.5 UK.  So I decided to go for the 6.5 as the low tops were recommended at your standard size.  So many normal dance shoes don’t have half sizes, so it’s a bonus being able to choose a more precise size.

Given they’re unisex dance shoes, I decided that they’d likely be ok as my mid size.  And luckily they are. I think I could have gone up to the 7 without finding them too large, but the 6.5 is good.  I did find them a bit shallow on top.  If I wiggle my toes I can see them through the material upper – but I think that’s just the material being quite thin and flexible.  My toes don’t feel cramped at all.

Dancing in Fuego sneakers

When dancing you need to be able to turn easily. In the past I was mostly used to wearing suede sole dance shoes which you have to scuff up after certain floors or after dancing regularly in them. But with these dance sneakers they have dual pivot points on the sole to aid turning easily. 

My experience of spinning in them is limited to only a few surfaces. So far:

• My kitchen floor lino.  Not the smoothest surface for turning on, but my Fuego trainers hae been better than other shoes, and they will save me from going through so many socks when practising.
• Carpet. I’m a bit out of practice for multiple spins, but a double was ok on our (pretty old) carpet. 
• Lino at one line dance venue I go to.  This is a terrible floor, most people use dance covers/socks over their shoes, some use dance trainers.  My Fuegos are ok for pivoting, and doing some heel splits, certainly better than my old trainers.  I think this floor is just a lost cause although I can move with a bit less worry about my right knee.
• Nice wooden floor at a village hall venue. This is a nice floor, my Fuegos are great on this one, moving easily without feeling dangerously slippy.

Fuego dance sneakers are meant to be good for both indoor and outdoor use, although I’ve not tried dancing outside. I’m quite a heavy spinner, so I wouldn’t want to shred the soles too fast! I do like the fact I can just turn up and leave my dance classes wearing them, rather than having to faff around changing my shoes on arrival. And I’ll be ok if we have any flash mobs outside.

The Fuego dance sneakers are really lightweight (the low tops are just over 250g in weight).  They don’t feel heavy while you’re walking or dancing. The cushioned insole feels like you’re standing and dancing on air, they are so bouncy to dance in.

Compared to other dance trainers or wearing boots, they’re much lighter to dance in and there are no hard seams inside to rub my feet either.

So far I’ve only found a couple of downsides.  

The price – because they are expensive compared to other dance trainers (especially if you’re in a country that you have to ship them over from the US, and are having to pay import taxes. Hopefully in future there will be more UK distributors)

My Fuego low tops do get hot because they’re not breathable leather or fabric.  They’re an alternative vegan ‘leather’. Yes, there are a couple of airholes, but wearing my compression socks I boiled. And I wouldn’t want to try barefoot because I could imagine the smell and sweatiness after 2 hours or longer of dancing.  With trainer socks I’ve found them less hot to wear, so just choose your socks/footwear to suit your feet.

If you want to show a pointed toe (e.g if you’re a latin or jazz dancer), then you’re not going to be able to in these low tops. You’d need to choose the split sole. With line dancing it doesn’t really matter, so I’m happy to have a comfortable, casual dance shoe that works and lets me turn smoothly without worrying about jarring my knees from sticking shoes.

Now I just need to give them a rinse off on the soles because my most recent dance class had a filthy floor, and they’re no longer white soled anymore!  Because Fuego dance sneakers have a water resistant upper and sole, they’re fine to wipe off without worrying they’ll need lots of drying time.

If and when I return to Ceroc, I can see myself using these in class there. They’d be great for the laidback style of west coast swing too. 

You can buy Fuego dance sneakers from them direct. (If you’re in the UK there is a UK distributer, Dancewear Central, although your choice will be more limited on the range than buying direct from Fuego).  Do sign up to the Fuego newsletter too, as they’ll send any offers and updates on new designs via that route too.

What dance shoes do you wear for line dancing in?