One of the most frequently asked questions I get as a Zumba instructor is regarding the type of shoe to wear. Zumba is a cardio exercise class that combines both dancing and fitness moves. A regular dance shoe will not have the shock absorption for the impact of exercise, and an athletic shoe that is strictly for training may not have the lightness and movement capabilities needed for dancing.
The answer is to get a dance-fitness or dance-aerobic shoe. With the increased popularity in dance-fitness classes such as cardio salsa, hip-hop fitness and Zumba, the shoe manufacturers have come out with a great assortment of aerobic type training shoes geared to the dance-fitness enthusiast. These shoes have multi-directional support and very little tread on the sole. They are lightweight and make it easy to pivot and glide across the floor.
When choosing the right shoes for your feet, read the reviews or descriptions online. If you have a wide foot, narrow foot, or high arch, for example, there may be a brand of shoe that is better suited for you. Nike and Ryka brands have a popular selection of dance aerobic shoes to choose from.
Adding a well-cushioned insert to the shoe will make it much more comfortable. Take out the insert that the shoe comes with and place in one that is designed specifically for cross training or aerobics. Replacing the inserts often will extend the life of the shoe itself.
Athletic shoes should be replaced every 3 to 6 months, depending on how much mileage you put on them. When you feel your knees and legs begin to ache after exercise it could mean that it is time to get a new pair of shoes.
In summary, the best shoe for a dance-fitness class is one that is lightweight, supportive and has little tread on the sole. Find one specifically made for dance-fitness or dance aerobics. When you are wearing the right shoes you will have a better exercise experience, you will stick to your exercising and you will have more fun.
Aug 30, 2011 | | Shoes
The Nike Dunk Pro SB Mid – Tie Dye is one of the most notable members of the rather extensive Nike ‘Mid’ dunks family. This is a family it shares alongside the likes of Nike Dunk SB Mid Premium Navy White, the Nike SB Mid Premium Television, the Nike Dunk Mid Pro SB Griptape and the Nike SB Dunk Mid Pro Sea Crystal. Of all the items on the ‘mid-size’ Nike dunks I have gotten to use over the years – and these are quite a number – I have to confess that it is the Nike Pro SB Mid – Tie Dye (which I only got to use recently), that I have gotten most enchanted with.
As its name suggests, Nike SB Mid – Tie Dye is one unapologetically colorful shoe, one on which almost all colors of the rainbow make an appearance. Looking at my particular pair, I can identify more than 7 different colors. On the bottom part of the sole, the part that is in contact with the ground for instance, there is yellow – a light hue of it. On the upper part of the sole, where the sole gets connected to the rest of the shoe, there is white – which later makes an appearance on the front region of the shoe adjacent to its tongue, and on its (original) shoelaces. Then there is black, on the front part of the shoe, especially on the patch that connects the different parts that make up the shoe’s upper body. Yellow, this time a darker hue, shows up on the flap that is provided to supplement the shoe-lace as a mechanism for securing the shoe on the foot. Red is the color Nike uses for its trademark ‘tick’ on the Nike Dunk Pro SB Mid – Tie Dye, with green making a showing at the very back of the shoe; where the tie and dye affair is most clearly manifest.
In terms of height, Nike Dunk Pro SB Mid – Tie Dye is quite a short shoe, one which more strictly speaking, would be classified as belonging to the Nike ‘Low’ dunks family. The rise in its gradient is gradual (and modest), starting from the front section of the shoe where the toes go in, and peaking towards the middle section of the shoe, so that (like all Dunks), it gets to its highest at the ‘tip of the tongue’ where the shoe’s upper body meets its wearer’s foot-trunk.
As alluded to earlier, for a tying mechanism, Nike use a combination of the traditional shoelace and a flap mechanism; which seems to be its preferred combination of securing mechanisms in all its modern dunks. The securing flap, of course, in addition to its primary role of keeping the shoe in place also serves the role of adding to colorfulness in this particular pair.
All said and done, Nike Pro SB Mid – Tie Dye comes across as a particularly ideal shoe; especially for casual use.
Aug 28, 2011 | | Shoes
You may not be totally unaware of this highly abused story about why Nike Dunk SB and Nike Air Jordans are amongst the highly counterfeited line of sneakers in the world today, particularly if you had been even remotely following the Nike story. To begin with, Nike SB Dunk and Nike Air Jordans are released occasionally, perhaps once a year, a fact that helps the black marketers and collectors alike. Nike has a readymade justification for this, which appears to be cocky superficially but as long as it gets the upper hand in keeping its market, even a small time fan has no complaints to make.
According to a survey, Nike Dunk SB is the most popular sport shoe brand to have ever been released by any company and FC follows from at a distance. Since SB Dunks almost always have strange nicknames, fakes like Nike “What the Dunk” SB manage to sneak into many wardrobes. The logos on insoles are clear telltale signals that it is a fake. It is noteworthy that authentic Nike Dunk SB, Kiyosaki, is one of the narrowest, highly materialistic and is basically a creation sold predominantly by MLM companies or by referrals, which is a kind of testimonial for authenticity.
As far as memory can travel, Nike SB Dunk has alone earned the top honors amongst Nike’s products. The thick cushion with additional support for ankles, it is built for hardcore skateboarders. The extraordinary aspect with this is that it comes with a strap featuring the logo of SB on it. Actually it is these kind of small things that make them highly sought after and hard to find.
How the craze builds up prior to each release also makes for interesting reading. A small picture of a Nike Dunk SB or Nike Air Jordans somehow finds its way to the media and the word that spreads on talks about that model as being the last edition to the legacy of its respective lineage. Then, there are signature shoes that carry “M” to bring in a whole new perspective to the sneaker craze. Doesn’t the whole story sound a routine in the run-up to a release? Probably this is how and why SB Dunk is what it is.
Okay now, what’s the news? This year, Nike is preparing to launch a new line of Nike Dunk SB Vintage; they are particularly given retro looks to resemble a model released two decades ago. It sports clean but vibrant colors; fit for anyone who appreciates the historical evolution of these path-breaking sneakers. The original Dunk SB is enjoying a high market endorsement rate because of collectors as well as retail buyers, the entire line of Nike Dunk was issued again ten years ago with lots of changes to colorways and features which incidentally paved the way for the current rage SB Dunk.
What a transformation for the Nike SB Dunk, which was first released less than a decade ago with a tongue thickly padded and collared ankle.
Aug 26, 2011 | | Shoes