Dance Sneakers in Australia: How to Choose Your Pair

Dance sneakers are a popular choice for Australian dancers who want one pair for class, socials and dancing outside. Here's where Australia dances, how the climate changes what you need from a shoe, and how to choose the right pair.

Where Australia dances

Tamworth: the home of Australian line dancing

Tamworth, in northern New South Wales, is Australia's country music capital. Every January the Tamworth Country Music Festival hosts the Australian Line Dance Championships, one of the longest-running line dance competitions in the country, with junior and senior divisions and dancers travelling from every state. In May the city hosts Mayworth, the Australian Country Dance Festival, with workshops, themed socials and competitions. Away from Tamworth, line dancing clubs meet in halls, clubs and pubs right across regional and suburban Australia.

Sydney: bachata and salsa

Sydney has one of the country's busiest Latin dance scenes, with salsa and bachata socials every week. It's home to the Sydney International Bachata Festival, held each May in Western Sydney and billed as the longest-running bachata festival in the world, and the Sydney Salsa and Mambo Convention each October.

Melbourne: shuffle and bachata

Melbourne gave the world the Melbourne shuffle, which grew out of the city's rave and club scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Today the city also runs a strong bachata calendar, including the World Bachata Festival Melbourne and the Bachata Flavour Festival.

Brisbane and the Gold Coast

South-east Queensland's warm weather keeps a lot of dancing outdoors, and the Gold Coast regularly hosts Latin dance festivals alongside weekly socials in Brisbane.

Dancing in the Australian climate

Heat and humidity

Summers in Brisbane, Sydney and the tropical north are hot and humid, and a packed dance hall gets warmer still. A breathable upper lets air move through, and a microfibre upper dries faster between classes than materials that soak up sweat.

Outdoor dancing

From festival grounds to park and beach socials, a lot of Australian dancing happens outside. A sole made for indoor and outdoor surfaces means the same pair works on timber, vinyl and laminate inside, and on concrete, pavement and grass outside.

Changeable weather

Melbourne is famous for four seasons in one day. A sneaker that handles a wet footpath on the way in and a smooth floor once you're there saves carrying two pairs.

What to look for

A sole made for turning

Everyday sneakers grip in a straight line, so the sole can catch when you turn. A dance sole has a smooth pivot area under the ball of the foot with texture around it. It lets go when you turn and grips when you stop.

Cushioning for long sessions

Line dancing classes, workshops and festival socials often run for hours. A cushioned insole over a firmer layer absorbs the impact of each step, so your feet and knees still feel fresh at the end.

The right fit

Measure your foot from heel to toe while standing, then use the size guide. Add your foot width and it tells you whether a standard or wide fit suits you better.

How Pulse Dance Shoes helps through the Aussie dance year

Festival weekends in Tamworth

The Australian Line Dance Championships in January and Mayworth in May mean workshops by day and socials in the evening, often several days in a row. Flow 2's removable GROOVECLOUD® insole cushions every step over back-to-back sessions, and because it's removable you can swap in your own orthotics for a long weekend.

Bachata and salsa festivals in Sydney and Melbourne

A congress weekend means workshops, performances and socials on whatever floor the venue has. The SPYNFLEX® sole is made for smooth turns and controlled stops, and one pair takes you from the workshop room to the social without changing shoes.

Shuffle and hip hop

Quick footwork needs a light, responsive shoe. Volt is the lightest style we make, and its cotton canvas upper moves with your foot.

Summer socials and outdoor dancing

For hot, humid summers, Volt's canvas upper is the most breathable in the range, and microfibre uppers dry faster between classes. When the dancing moves outside onto grass, concrete or pavement, every style uses the same indoor and outdoor SPYNFLEX® sole.

Getting the right pair before the event

Order early enough to dance in them before a festival. Use the size guide with your foot length and width, and if the size isn't right, exchanges are free.

Which Pulse Dance Shoes style suits you

Every style is built around our proprietary dance-engineered SPYNFLEX® sole, multi-textured for grip and glide. The uppers are AIRDANCE+® materials, and each style has a removable GROOVECLOUD® or ORTHOFLOW® insole.

Flow 2

Built for stability and support, with a removable GROOVECLOUD® insole of memory foam over shock-absorbing foam. A good choice for long line dancing classes and festival weekends.

Flow 2 Wide

Built for wide feet and bunions, in a true 2E wide fit with room across the ball of the foot and the toes.

Nova

A classic court sneaker with a suede microfibre heel panel and a removable ORTHOFLOW® insole of lightweight open-cell foam.

Volt

The lightest and most breathable style we make, with a cotton canvas upper that promotes freedom of movement and feels as light as a feather. A good pick for hot summers and quick footwork.

See them side by side on our compare page.

Buying in Australia

We ship Australia-wide, with prices in Australian dollars. Free exchanges.

Find your pair in our dance sneakers collection.