Character Shoes

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Browse More ▶

Black Character Shoes

Black character shoes are probably the most popular color out there. Probably this is because this is the most realistic color that a character would be wearing. It would fit with any role a performer was given and can be seen in the far reaches of the audience unlike many other colors, like nude character shoes.

Character Dance Shoes For Theater

Character shoes are shoes worn by stage performers. Actresses, actors and dancer wear them during productions, rehearsal and for auditions. Tap shoes are a simple adaptation where metal shoes are added to the toe and heel of the character shoes. They are commonly known as dance shoes, since they are invaluable to performers dancing for long periods on stage. Purists will tell you that they are different, character shoes, dance shoes and tap shoes, and that character shoes are a hardier, more sturdy shoe.

Womens Character Shoes

Womens character shoes are a basic shoes, looking like a Mary Jane with heels. These heeled Mary Janes shoes have a strap over the top of the foot to keep the shoe on during the more wild dance moves. some will also come with a t-strap for added security. They have a moderate heel, generally 1 or 2 inches, but ranging up to 3 inches for the more risque characters. At one time black character shoes and beige or nude character shoes were all you could get. Now you can get red, white and even gold character shoes.

Beige character shoes are the second most popular, next to only black character shoes.I admit to having both, but I get much more use out of the black, probably because I'm a little goth deep inside. The beige are a versatile shoe. Many people choose beige as their primary character shoes. Even if you are more of a black shoe loving girl, you might want to pick up a pair of beige in your favorite brand and style, just so you have it for those beige-loving type characters that you are bound to play.

The Character Shoe

The heel is what makes the character shoe remarkable. It is a chunky heel, which is suitable for dancing on stage, unlike a stiletto, which is a very thin heel. That chunk heel gives much more stability and allows the dancer to have more control over their movement. The sole is made of leather as well, so these are the perfect shoe for anyone who will be standing or dancing for hours. The leather sole provides much more comfort than any other sole. With improvements in man made leathers over the years, some have sought to make a faux leather character shoe. These are not as comfortable or as sturdy, but they are suitable for those looking for an animal friendly alternative to the leather character shoe.

Leather Character Shoes

Character shoes for theater are amazing for wearing on stage. However, you do not want to wear them to and from your rehearsals. The leather soles can wear out quickly when exposed to the outdoors, particularly. Since cheap character shoes start at $30 and the best character shoes range all the way up to $200, you don't want to have to replace them often. When you buy your first pair, you will want to make sure the return policy is adequate. Comfort is the goal with character shoes. Some even suggest buying your first pair at a brick and mortar store and not buying character shoes online just to make sure that they are perfect. I say get the shoes online if the price is better, but get them in enough time so that a return is possible if necessary.

White Character Shoes

White character shoes are another super versatile shoe. What I love about the white character shoes it how great they are for olde timee roles. If you are playing in one of the classics, then a white character shoes will be a fun part of the getup. Just remember that if you are playing a poorer character, they would not be wearing white, as they would not have the money to keep them clean. For an aristocrat, they are perfect.

Buy Character Shoes for Dance

You will find character shoes in brands you otherwise may never have heard of. Capezio character shoes are the most popular. Danco, Leo's and Bloch are other prominent makers of character shoes. These brands specialize in character dance shoes, so if this is your first time venturing into theater, you may want to check with a friend to see what brand they recommend. If you have a larger sized foot, you will have trouble finding character shoes. Character shoes over size 10 for women will have to be found online, and size 12 and 13 for men will need to likely be special ordered for mens character shoes. If you have wide feet, you will need to find wide character shoes online as well, since many stores will not carry these sizes. Again, it is most important that you make sure that thee shoes you end up with are comfortable Rehearsals are often all day affairs and you don't want to lose your part because your performance was not up to par.

Red Character Shoes

Red character shoes are for those lead ladies with some extra va va voom. If that is you, you may have looked everywhere for some red character shoes. I found some! They won't be for every character, but they will work beautifully for many.

Girls character shoes are so cute. The smaller they are, the cuter! You can find them in white, beige and, of course, black. They all have the ankle strap, although some have an ankle tie instead. Many are of the same quality (and price range) as adult character shoes, so assess your needs carefully.

Character Shoes Sizing

You need to look at the sizing chart of the character shoes that you buy online. They do not run exactly the same size as street shoes. If you need to, go to a dance shop and try some on before making a final online purchase.

Boys Character Dance Shoes

It is hard to decide if some of these boys character shoes are cuter than the girls'. These character dance shoes are a must have for your little guy if he is serious about his dance routine and performances.

Character Shoes Reviews

The reviews of any character shoes will be your greatest asset. That's why I love Amazon. Many shoes have thorough reviews. Read reviews with a critical eye. If there was a sizing error, it may have been the company's or it may have been the buyers. if a shoe has several reviews and they are all negative, I would look at something else. If the shoe you are looking at has no reviews, look at reviews of others shoes form the brand and reviews about the seller. Both will be important to note. Choose wisely. Character shoes aren't cheap!

Mens Character Shoes

Mens character shoes look like the oxford shoe. They are a basic flat shoe, often with a little shine. They have the same comfortable leather soles that makes stage performing so ideal. As with women's character shoes, taps can be added to mens character shoes to turn them into tap shoes. As with the ladies character shoes, the mens taps must be attached separately, since most purchasers will not need them.

Salvatore Capezio, born in 1871, is the founder of the Capezio dance shoes company. He was a cobbler, working for the Metropolitan Opera House and repaired thatrical shoes. One day, Jean de Reszke, a famous Plish tenor in the opera, came into great misfortune. Salvatore came to the rescue with a pair of character shoes,  made from scratch. Now, he was known as a shoemaker. He understood the engineering of character dance shoes like no other shoemaker of the time. Dancers would make his shoe shop a hangout shop and discussed in detail the exact needs of a dancer's footware. Salvatore Capezio married one such dancer, Angelina Passone, only solidifying his stature as shoemaker in the dance community. The Capezio business was run as a family business, until the 1950's when Ben Sommers took over the company. He had the company branch into fashion shoes and can be credited for popularizing the ballet flat. Capezio character shoes are still the msot prominent brand for dancors and actors alike.

Bloch character shoes began in 1931 with Jacob Bloch. Jacob Bloch made shoes by hand, but did not first specialize in dance shoes. he loved the ballet, and one day noticed that some of the pointe shoes made it difficult for ballericans to stay on pointe. He made a better shoe. News of his superior crafsmenship spread rapidly. His shoes came in high demand. His company is family owned and operated to this day, with his grandson as the current managing director. They pride themselves in listening to their clients when making and designing Bloch character shoes, just as Alegria shoes does with their clients.