Is there any difference between American tap shoes and Irish step shoes?
Yes, indeed! And much to our surprise many jazz tap dancers try dancing on Irish step dancing in jazz tap shoes. Kindly allow us this one question: Would you ever play tennis also with a high quality badminton racket? You wouldn’t. American or jazz tap shoes are exceptionally created for their own dance style. Technique and movements of Irish dancing is completely different. Because of different movements and burdens each type of step shoe achieves it’s own requirements. E.g. Irish step shoes has higher as the used metal tips from a jazz tap shoe and the heels have another shape. Irish shoes have a smaller area and are often made with a bent for making heel clicks. Especially jazz tap dancers are surprised and sometimes disappointed because of these differences. But we find that the varying dancing styles are the problem not the material. These exemplary differences are reasons why Irish step shoes almost feel odd to beginners and also to experienced jazz tap dancers.
