Tango Shoes Heels - Making The Right Choice in Online Shopping

Back in 2008, after a few months of Tango lessons, I was on the market for my first pair of heels!

You can imagine how excited I was..! I would spend all my free time looking through the web to all the elegant tango shoes with wonderful designs.

Once I had made up my mind, which was not every easy… haha… but once I finally did, I didn’t think twice of ordering online.
I measured my foot based on the sketch the company sent me, and then really that was it… I sent the measurements in along with my tango shoe size and credit card, and done..!

This might sound normal now. But think back in 2008 in Greece, where online shopping wasn’t that wellestablished and especially ordering from Argentina…the other end of the world.

Interestingly enough it never crossed my mind to ask what would happen if they didn’t fit… I wasn’t even worried whether they were actually legit..!
Thankfully, they were legit, the tango shoes were absolutely amazing and the fit was just right!
But is this really the right way to do it..?

How to reduce the risk a bit…

There is of course risk in buying anything online. And I don’t think you can eliminate that unfortunately but maybe you can reduce it.

So here are some practical tips to do exactly that:

1. Starting easy, prefer companies you have tried before or someone you know and can reach out to has tried before. This way even if you haven’t bought from this brand before you can hear how they fit from someone who has, a real person, not just reading at the reviews.
Now if you are new to Tango, and you haven’t bought tango shoes before, then reach out to your teacher to ask them about the brands available and their experience.

2. Further to the above, the fact that certain brands are affiliated with great big names in Tango, doesn’t really make a big a difference. They are human just like the rest of us, ergo tango shoes that might work perfectly for them might not work for you. I remember when “Turquoise”, a Turkish brand, was introduced to the market, they had to compete against the big Argentinian names. But in all honesty from me their tango shoes were way better at the time compared to “Come il Faut”. None of the big names were using them though in the beginning, so it is great that people gave them a fair chance.

3. If you have a distributor in your home town, it is always good to go and visit them to try a pair or two out. You are not obligated to buy from them, even though if they fit well… why not right..? But even if you don’t find that you like, it is very helpful to know how the specific brand they carry feels. It might not be the brand for you and that is ok, but at least you know you need to focus on a different brand.

4. Similar to the above, Festivals and Marathons are great places to get familiar with different brands of tango shoes. You will notice all of them are different in how the fit and look on your foot, even if they look the same. So it is good to spend the time to do some research.

5. Now if you have done your research at your home base and have ended up on the online market, you should share in great detail what your needs are with the representative of the brand and also share what your experience with other brands has been. For example, I often say to distributors that I wear a 39 in “Comme il faut” and ask them whether their tango shoes have the same fit. Or similarly I tell them that I don’t like my tango shoes too soft nor too stiff, so definitely a leather sole, not like ballroom shoes and without too much padding. Then they can send me pictures or explain to me exactly how they make their tango shoes.

6. Check the return and refund policy! I never used to do that but it is very important… for two reasons actually;
a. Knowing you can return the tango shoes and get your money back, can be extremely impactful especially if you are a first time buyer.
b. But most importantly, it shows they strongly believe in their product and they put customer service first.

7. On a similar note, notice in your initial correspondence with them, how good are they in responding, providing information and following up. You know the tango shoes might be great but if you just can’t coordinate with the person selling them that can lead into misunderstandings.

So this is my list… Tell me what you think?

If you have any horror stories with tango  shoes and how you managed. And of course what is the brand that you absolutely love.

I am Chrisa Assis and you can find me at bautanz.com