KIIRA: Because they have to-
fold–
They have to fold..?
They have to MOLD..
[laughs]
Somebody give me a Grammy!
What's up everybody!
It's Kiira Harper here,
and I am one of your new heels teachers
at STEEZY Studio!
You guys can find me dancing with people like
Beyoncé..
Drake..
Janelle Monáe..
BUT
today I'm here to talk to you guys about-
these..
Every time I teach a heels class,
I get asked the same question..
"Where do I get the right shoes?"
"HOW do I get the right shoes?"
"What do I need IN the perfect shoe to train in heels?"
Well, I got your tips-
today.
So for beginners
training in heels,
I HIGHLY recommend getting-
a bootie!
A bootie is super, super great
because, number one,
it supplies AMAZING ankle support!
When dancing in your heels,
ankle support is EXTREMELY, extremely important
because you have to BUILD the strength in your ankles
so that you can DANCE on top of your heel without hurting yourself.
So when you're looking for the proper bootie to dance in,
you want to think about something that has-
a lace up,
a buckle-
that holds around the ankle,
or something with a zipper!
that's gonna keep you SUPER secure,
AND STILL flexible enough
for you to move quickly
and swiftly throughout the choreography!
The NEXT tip for the perfect shoe
is having something with an open toe.
When you dance in a shoe that has a closed toe,
your toes end up getting right on top of each other,
and you can't spread them out.
You want to be able to spread out your toes,
so that you can feel the floor,
and have perfect balance on your foot.
Tip #3!
NO platform shoes!
You want to get the type of shoe
that is nice and close to the ground.
When you have a platform,
it feels like you're dancing on the air
and there's a barrier between the shoe and the floor.
Dancing in the air is not safe..
You could also roll over your ankle in a platform
and it's really hard to RECOVER
when you lose your balance if you have a platform on your shoe.
Tip #4!
If it's going to have a lace up,
you want to make sure that your laces
are sturdy and strong
and also, not too long.
HA!
It rhymes!
Sturdy and strong,
but not too long!
You want to make sure that when you tie your laces,
your loops don't HANG all the way to the front of the foot
so that you can tuck them in
and hide them!
Because a lace that loops very long,
is a lace that can be tripped on.
Tip #5!
You want to look for a shoe
that's not too clunky and chunky!
Something that's super lightweight
so that you can move your feet QUICKLY while you're dancing,
without hurting yourself!
Also!
You want to have a little bit of a shoe that-
is more FLEXIBLE.
When your shoes are flexible,
chances are, they'll be a little bit more comfortable
and you can wear them longer.
Tip #6!
Let's talk about heel height.
If you are a BEGINNER dancer,
PLEASE
DO NOT go out there and buy a 4-inch heel!
Please don't go out there and buy a 5-inch heel!
It's very safe to start with a shoe
that's about 3.5 inches-
you don't want to go lower than three inches
only because you won't be able to get the full extension
in your ankle-
so that you can actually TRAIN and find the strength
in your ankles before you move-
to the next height!
Tip #7!
Stiletto heel
vs. Chunky heel.
Go with THIS.
The stiletto heel is a lot easier
to dance in-
because it creates more strength
when you're dancing in your shoes.
It creates more strength in your ankles,
and you get stronger FASTER.
When you dance in a chunky heel,
you're safe.
DON'T be safe!
No heel dancer
is a safe dancer.
SO..
NOW that you know what to look for in the perfect dance shoe,
I have some secret tips
to give you guys
for things that I do to MY shoes
to make them PERFECT for me.
So, number one,
after I find the perfect shoe, I take them to the shoemaker,
and I try to get them customized
so that they fit my feet better
and are a little bit more comfortable.
Because at the end of the day,
we all know,
heels hurt!
It doesn't matter what kind of shoe you get,
they're GOING to hurt,
ESPECIALLY if you're rehearsing or dancing in them
for hours and hours on end.
So, I get my shoes rubbered on the bottom.
I have the shoemaker
take the soles off-
especially if they're leather and slippery,
and put RUBBER soles
on the bottom so that, when I'm dancing,
no matter what kind of floor I'm on,
I'm not slipping and sliding.
I have a nice grip on the floor.
If you CAN'T afford to go to the shoemaker,
you CAN still go outside
and scratch the bottom of your shoes on the concrete!
It'll create some friction
for the bottom of your shoes while you're dancing,
and also, a little helpful tip,
AFTER you scratch them,
spray them with hairspray.
It'll help make them a little bit more sticky,
so that you're not slipping and sliding
on different types of surfaces.
Heels, are like pointe shoes guys.
You know when you have a pointe shoe,
you have to break them in so that they don't hurt your feet as much.
Same thing with heels!
It's VERY important when you first get a fresh pair of shoes,
to BEND the ball of the foot
so that it has more flexibility when you dance.
It ALLOWS the shoe
to mold to your foot better
SOMEtimes,
I go to the shoemaker,
especially if a shoe is like really cute,
and I HAVE to have it,
but they hurt really bad..
I'll go to the shoemaker
and I'll have them take out the sole
and give me something with a little more cushion.
You want to make sure that the sole
and the cushion that they put in there
lands right underneath the ball of the foot
because that's where most of the PRESSURE will be when you're dancing.
Once my shoes get a little more wear and tear,
I like to always check the BOTTOM of my heel..
Because sometimes what'll happen is,
you'll dance so hard, that-
The TIP on the bottom of your shoe
will wear down until you get to a metal piece.
You DON'T want to dance on the metal piece
because you can easily slip and hurt yourself.
SO-
ALWAYS check the metal piece-
most of the time, when you buy new shoes,
they come with the little-
tip inside the box..
So ALWAYS be ready to change those out
as soon as you see the wear and tear
getting a little bit bad on the bottom of the shoe!
So guys, listen..
the ultimate tip is this:
ALL heels are gonna hurt when you dance.
Understand that it takes time
for your feet to get to know your shoes
and for your shoes to get to know your feet!
So you just want to make sure
that you're finding a shoe that's COMFORTABLE.
Take your time-
if you go to the store
to find a pair of shoes,
wear them in the store for a long amount of time-
make sure they're not hurting in any specific spaces,
make sure the FABRIC feels nice on your foot
and it's not rubbing in one particular spot-
because THAT can create blisters
after dancing for a long period of time.
Okay guys! So listen,
I've given you all the tips-
you know what to look for
and what not to look for for the PERFECT heel-
for you!
But, I KNOW,
finding the perfect heel is NOT an easy thing.
You go from this store
to that store-
you try on this shoe-
you try on that shoe..
But wouldn't it be convenient if that PERFECT shoe
that checked off ALL the boxes
existed-
AND was waiting for you..?
Alright guys, so I hope this was SUPER helpful-
take these tips,
find the perfect shoe,
and I'll see YOU when you take my Intro to Heels program
at STEEZY Studio!
Bye!