Dance Warm Up Boots: The Essential Accessories for Dancers of All Ages

If you think about the physical activity involved, dancing isn’t that different from sports. Dancers, just like any athlete, require the essential skills, practice, moves, and gear to make it through with this (sometimes strenuous) activity. With this in mind, we ought to pay attention to what athletes do before every practice and match too – they warm up.

Regardless of whether you’re a beginner dancer, or a pro who’s had lots of experience in the matter, warming up is a huge deal for dancing. It may seem a part you could easily skip, however, in its essence it’s meant to be of help with enhancing joint and muscle movement and mobility, boosting the heart rate, improving circulation and coordination. All in all, it’s crucial for the performance and assists with reducing the risk of injuries.

Whichever dance school you go to, and whoever you choose to be your dance instructor, you can be certain there would be some warmup involved. This could be anything from dance moves used later on in the performance, to different stretch routines and techniques. Since dance moves tend to take their toll on the feet, especially in the case of ballet, foot warmups are among the most crucial prep and, not surprisingly, accessories like dance warm up boots take the central stage.

What Are Warm Up Dance Boots?

Basically, their name is self-explanatory – they’re the type of footwear made for both adult and child dancers. However, it’s not meant to be used for the dancing itself, but rather for the pre-dancing stretching and movements. As such, it’s created for keeping the feet toasty with the insulated polyester filling, and ready for the dance that lies ahead. Despite this, they’re not only meant to be used in the cold winter months, since you could also benefit from them in warm days.

The softly padded dance warm up boots are very comfortable on the feet, being lightweight in construction and offering full encasing which protects the feet and ankles from stiffness and injuries. Just because they’re light in weight, though, it doesn’t mean they’re prone to damage, especially if you consider the sturdy and durable material that’s typically used: rip-stop nylon. The padded outsole itself is outstanding as well, with its non-slip PVC cover.

Are Dance Booties Worth It?

Same as the rest of the gear, like say the right underwear, the adequate clothes, and ideal shoes, these boots serve their purpose. Besides taking care of your feet and ankles, warming them up for the upcoming strenuous activity, they can protect your tights and pointe shoes too from dirt and damage, and as a result they help prolong their lifespan, so in the end they turn out to be a cost-efficient investment.

This also answers the question of many novice dancers who wonder if it’s possible to wear boots over the pointe shoes. If you choose to do so, just make sure you buy one size up of the ballet warm up booties to get the ideal comfort. For boots without pointe shoes underneath, choose your regular size.

What Are the Options of Dance Boots?

Created from dancers for dancers, with the specific dancing needs in mind, there are several options of these boots that you can find available at the stores. Depending on whether you plan on wearing them strictly indoors, or wouldn’t mind to pop out in them either, you can pick from:

Rubber Sole Design

For the dancers who commute a lot, and tend to be in a rush to and from the dance studio, this is the perfect option of dance warm up boots as they can be worn both indoors and outdoors thanks to the specific rubber sole feature. They’re sturdy, fit for studio and street wear, easy to put on and take off, and easy to care for.

No Rubber Sole Design

If you like to keep your dance equipment separated from the street wear, then you’re certainly going to appreciate the boots without rubber sole features. Since the sole tends to be softer, they’re meant to be used only indoors. This lacking feature doesn’t make them any less fit for dance, however, and you can still wear them teamed up with your pointe shoes.

Ankle Boot Design

Most dance stores also spoil you with the range of lengths of these boots, so if you feel more inclined to get something with a lower boot design, you’re sure to find it in the form of ankle boots. Since they’re shorter, most come with pull-string toggles to make it easy for you to put them on and take them off.

Lower-Calf Boot Design

Dancers who like the extra warmth in the foot and ankle area would prefer the taller booties that go up to the lower calf. Due to the higher design, they provide more warmth and cosiness.