PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

• Dancing Barefoot
• Footwear

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• Nail polish, if you wear it, should either be clear or coordinate with the costume. It should not be chipped or peeling, nor should it look mismatched to your costume.
• Take along a pair of shoes to each gig just in case you discover upon arrival that the surface you'll be dancing on is unsafe or too disgusting for bare feet.
• Avoid removing the calluses that build on the sole of the foot - they are necessary to protect the foot from hazards such as stray glass beads. (But it's still advisable to remove calluses caused by ill-fitting shoes on the edges of the foot. If you have a bunion, you'll want to remove the callus that forms at the joint where the second toe meets the metatarsil bone.)
• For extra glamor, consider embedding tiny rhinestones in your nail polish.
• For an earthy aesthetic (such as folkloric or tribal style), consider using henna to decorate your feet.

By Shira

• Practice in the Footwear. Whatever you intend to wear on your feet in your performance, practice with it enough to feel comfortable and confident. It's difficult to deliver your best performance if you are distracted by unfamiliar posture or sensations on your feet.
• Decorating Shoes. Decorate your plain ballet slippers or other dance shoes with glitter, beads, or sequins.
• Shoe Color. Use a product called shoe paint to transform your tan shoes into any color that will coordinate with your costume.
• Special-Ordering Footwear. If you special-order dance footwear, ask the salesperson whether they can send in a tracing of your foot to get the right size. Dance shoes sometimes are sized in ways that differ from typical shoe sizing.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Pixie Vision Productions, Glendale, California.

• Replace Laces with Elastic. Replace the laces in your Hermes sandals, Scottish/Irish ghillies, or other lace-up shoes with either flat braid elastic or cord elastic as shown in the photo to the right. Flat braid elastic typically comes in white, beige or black, and sometimes lingerie elastic can be found in other colors. Cord elastic often comes in gold and silver, and may be sold in shops that sell supplies for gift-wrapping. After threading the elastic through the eyelets, sew the ends together - no more laces coming undone while dancing!
• Replace Laces with Ribbon. Replace the laces in Hermes sandals, Scottish/Irish ghillies, or other lace-up shoes with either rattail cord or grosgrain ribbon in a color that coordinates with your costume. Your laces will be less likely to come undone while dancing, and the shoes will look more attractive.

By Lara

Lara is based in Fairbanks, Alaska.

• Color of Shoe Laces. If you run white elastic through your Hermes sandals or other lace-up dance shoes to make them easier to put on and take off, tea staining the elastic brings it closer to an appropriate color to go with the leather rather than remaining glaring white. Although tan elastic exists, it is hard to find

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by William M. Smith, Iowa City, Iowa.

• Dear Shira: I Want to Dance Barefoot! A dancer whose audience questioned her about her bare feet asks about it.

• To the Tips of Your Toes: Costuming for Your Feet. Advice for belly dancers on footwear.