Great for Zumba: Are Reebok’s new dance fitness shoes worth the price?

Reviews published through February 18th on the just released Reebok dance fitness shoe Dance UR Lead offer praise for their optimum mobility and flexibility. The mid cut design, retailing for $84.99, promises ‘stability and support during dance activities’, and is recommended as “perfect for zumba”; yet are they any better than previous ‘have to have’ dance fitness shoes that are lower priced?

Available for women in both mid and low cut, Dance UR Lead shoes come in unique vibrant color combinations that are definitely eye catching. ‘DWTS’ Chelsie Hightower who signed on as Dance UR Lead spokes model at the beginning of the year will surely aid in their promotional success. Yet it is unclear how the newest flat soled addition to the dance fitness shoe market provides a new or better option to the Zumba dance enthusiast.

There already exists 100’s of Zumba shoe styles to fit a variety of needs. A longtime preference for many has been the split sole dance sneaker. According to Kristen C., Zumba dance instructor at Fit Trix Fitness Center in East Hampton, CT. many people in her class use the split sole shoe, “although they take some getting used to, the round part of the sole provides for easier twisting movements. My people that use them SWEAR by them”. Fellow Fit Trix Zumba dance instructor Brian L. agrees: “I have used Capezio and Bloch Dance Sneakers, and they both were good.” Linda L. Regulbuto, Artistic Director of Grossi Dance Academy in Vernon CT. says of her studio Zumba classes: “many of the students wear sneakers. I found my regular dance, split sole sneakers much better”. Capezio and Bloch both offer a wide variety of dance sneaker options for both men and women, in an economical price range of $38 -$72 on Amazon.com.

Leslie Ann of Fun & Fit in Glastonbury CT however is not a fan of the split sole: “As a seasoned Zumba instructor I prefer a flat sole as opposed to a split sole. I can't wear the split sole for a long period of time, especially if there is a lot of pounding on my feet. I have used Nike Shox for a while early on (couple years ago). Not a bad option.” Shox and other older Nike dance fitness shoes such as Hijack and Airtroupe range in price from $49 - $62 on Amazon.com. Current flat soled dance sneaker models such as the Zumba Fitness® LLC 'Z-Kickz' brand range in price $67 -$80 are praised for their lightweight, flexibility (as are the Dance UR Leads) but some reviews of the Z-Kickz found them to not offer enough support.

Kristen C. is one that personally prefers a lot of foot support: “If I had to recommend something it would be a dancing or hip hop type sneaker, but for me personally, I actually prefer a runner shoe. I seem to need a larger platform or I twist my ankles... Brian L. too prefers a running shoe for Zumba: “I currently am using Nike ReAx, something with very low tread and good support”.

With so many foot needs and style tastes, it is improbable one shoe can be perfect for all Zumba lovers. It remains to be seen if Reebok has finally come up with a flat sole option that addresses the existing need better than other available brands to maintain an $84.99 price tag.

Resources:

Fit Trix Fitness Center: 84 E High St East Hampton, CT 06424 (860) 365-0093. Offering a wide variety of group classes in addition to Zumba. Cardiovascular and weight machines, free weights, and personal training. Contact: Owner Jane Traceski

FUN & FIT of Glastonbury: 730 Hebron Ave, Glastonbury, CT 06033 (860) 899-6992. Offering a variety of classes for all ages and abilities including Zumba classes such as: Zumba® Fitness, Zumba® Toning, Zumbatomic®, Zumba® Gold, and more! Contact: Fun & Fit email

Grossi Dance Academy: 1135 Hartford Turnpike, Vernon, CT 06066, 860-872-1498. Over 40 years in business offering a variety of jazz, ballet, tap, and hip hop instruction to all ages.Specialty classes such as Ballroom, and weekly Zumba classes.Contact: Owner Linda Regulbuto