Do your hips start swivelling when you hear a beat? If so, try the best shoes for Zumba, a dance-inspired exercise program born from ingenuity. Developed in the 1990s, the popular exercise program uses soca, samba, salsa, merengue, mambo, and hip-hop music to get people moving.
Zumba provides a full-body aerobic-cardio workout that burns 369 calories in a 39-minute class. Zumba not only strengthens your legs and core but also increases your agility and flexibility. You don’t need to be a dancer to enjoy this high-impact activity — all you need are two feet (even two left ones!) and love of rocking to music with a strong beat.
Zumba is a competent exercise choice that is surprising the world there are the best shoes for Zumba. It includes heavy moving and consequences to luxurious melodious tunes and will leave you in a pool of sweat after a decent class. In any case, did you have at least some idea that there are outstanding the best shoes for Zumba that can take your activity experience to a higher level, while at the same time defending your feet, lower legs, and knees from injury?
The best shoes for Zumba are regular shoes such as sneakers that feature dancing for many hours easily. Also, they are often made to increase the foot’s grip on surfaces especially indoor surfaces to reduce slipping.
Zumba shoes normally have a unique and breathtaking look. There’s no defined design for Zumba shoes. The only requirement is they generally should be comfortable, flexible, and breathable, they should have added extra layers for protection and cushioning to make them safer and comfy.
Up to 25 per cent of all Zumba participants will eventually experience some kind of injury, and most of them relate to improper footwear. Special Zumba-focused shoes exist to ensure that you get your performance class after class, all while remaining injury-free.
If you are a person who enjoys finding creative ways to maintain fitness, you need a place for the best shoes for Zumba in your wardrobe. Zumba classes are gaining popularity among fitness enthusiasts as a fun and exciting way to lose the extra pounds you gained. The best part is, that it does not take much. Just a couple of rattles and gym wear is good enough to keep you up for the classes. But one thing you cannot do without is wearing the perfect set of Zumba shoes.
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Things To Look For When Purchasing Best Shoes For Zumba For Men And Women
Zumba shoes are typically not extremely expensive. However, you aren’t wanting to spend money on something that isn’t going to suit your personal needs. Some things should be looked out for before you make a purchase of the best shoes for Zumba. This includes the style, depending, buffering, supportiveness, material, and fit.
1. Style
Style is probably not something at the forefront of your mind when looking for a shoe for Zumba. However, when it comes to group-based exercises such as Zumba, especially when taking classes with others, you are likely going to want a pair of shoes are look relatively decent and have some impressive colour patterns and style points to them.
2. Pivoting
The wild and wonderful world of Zumba includes an abundance of pivoting, fast movements, slides across the ground, and quickly going from one dance move to the next with no lag time in between. As such, you are going to want a pair of Zumba shoes that has a relatively slippery outsole.
If the sole of your current Zumba shoes are too sticky or have too much grip, you are going to struggle with smoothness and pivoting capacity when executing some of the manoeuvres. Also, transferring from one dance move to the next will prove to be tricky.
3. Cushioning
One of the most important things that need to be considered when researching Zumba shoes is the level of cushioning they provide. Zumba is an incredibly high-impact exercise option, and therefore you are going to want to purchase a pair of these shoes that provides ample cushioning.
This is more than just the heel. It also goes for the midfoot and the ball of the foot as well. An hour’s workout in the “Zumba room” will cause your feet to start hurting when you lack shoes with proper cushioning.
4. Supportiveness
As Zumba includes extensive quick movement and hard landings, you will want a pair of Zumba shoes that provides quite a bit of support to the owner. In an ideal world, the best shoes for Zumba will have strong arch support. This is especially true if you suffer from flat feet (see our guide to the best shoes here) or plantar fasciitis (see our guides here on that ailment).
Additionally, your selected pair of Zumba shoes should have high levels of ankle support. Faster movements can easily end in sprained ankles quickly without ample ankle support.
5. Material
The material composition of your new pair of the best shoes for Zumba may not be all that important. However, the features present in the material are. The material of your Zumba shoes should be as breathable as possible, as Zumba is an incredibly intense exercise form, and you will be sweating.
You want a pair of shoes that are breathable and lightweight, which will prevent your feet from getting too sweaty and hot. This can cause your Zumba experience to be uncomfortable, and in some cases painful.
6. Fit
One of the other most important things to take note of when researching Zumba shoes for purchase is that they are snug and well-fitting. You want shoes that will lace up tightly. Some take things a step further and have a velcro strap as well.
The goal is to have a shoe that fits snug enough that your feet don’t move and rub around all too much, but they aren’t too tight. Too much space in a shoe can easily cause blisters and calluses, and in some cases cause you to trip and fall.
7. Flexibility
Zumba shoes need to be far more flexible than standard exercise shoes so that the feet can be moved with ease in different directions and positions. Look for flexible outsoles and midsoles that offer a full range of motion.
8. Breathability
As with any physical activity, Zumba also needs shoes that are well ventilated and allow the feet to breathe to prevent them from getting sweaty and smelly. Choose shoes made of breathable mesh or those that have ventilation holes and perforations. Breathable shoes prevent the occurrence of hot spots and blisters and keep the feet dry and comfortable.
9. Grip
Ensure the shoes provide just the right amount of traction to prevent accidents from slipping but they are flexible enough to permit you to execute all the dance moves smoothly.
10. Expert Tip
Running shoes will have more of a grip than Zumba shoes. So you should choose the Zumba shoes with less of a grip. That can help you to prevent slipping over because it is hard to transition into new dance moves.
Pros And Cons of Zumba Shoes
No matter the product type you are considering there will always be an upside and downside to all of them so here’s our take on the pros and cons of shoes for Zumba.
Advantages of Zumba Shoes:
Disadvantages of Zumba Shoes:
As they are made specifically for Zumba, some Zumba shoes are not suited to other sports or physical activities.
10 Dancing Sneakers For Zumba Workouts in 2023
Here is the list of the top 10 Best Shoes For Zumba:
Editor’s Note: We will update this list as more Best Shoes For Zumba hit the market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What Are Zumba Shoes?
Zumba shoes are shoes dedicated to Zumba dance. Usually, Zumba shoes are regular exercise shoes, running shoes, or sports sneakers. They feature to make dancing easier during dance moves and motions for an hour-long class. They also feature to improve the wearer’s grip on slippery surfaces.
Zumba shoes should be comfortable, flexible, and breathable. Some extra layers are normally added for padding and protection, which makes them more useful outside of Zumba classes.
Q. Do You Need Special Shoes For Zumba?
A pair of Zumba shoes will keep you in an enjoyable and comfortable experience. I think appropriate Zumba shoes will make Zumba easier. They feature to make dancing easier during dance moves and motions for an hour-long class. Moreover, Zumba shoes could help you to prevent getting injured and protect your feet and legs.
Q. Can I Use Running Shoes For Zumba?
I do not think running shoes are ideal because they have a lot of traction, which is not favorable when doing Zumba. Especially Zumba is known for lateral moves, if you wear basic running shoes, you could injure yourself. You should also choose companies manufacturing shoes that are especially in Zumba shoes.
Q. How Long Do Zumba Shoes Last?
It is difficult to answer because shoe durability depends on two factors: How often you wear those Zumba shoes and what type of floor. In general, Zumba shoes can be used for a year. You should consider changing to a new pair of shoes if the padding and the tread have a sign of wearing out.
Q. Can You Use Inserts With Zumba Shoes?
Yes, but you should use a quality insert. I advise you only use insert if you have a problem with your feet.
Q. Why Can I Not Just Use My Standard Running or Gym Shoes?
While this is a doable thing, we don’t recommend it. Typical cross-training and running shoes are developed for forwarding movement. Zumba, on the other hand, has dancers moving back and forth in all directions, doing pivots, turns, and other impressive moves. As such, the grip that makes running shoes incredible for outdoor running and trail hopping proves disastrous in a Zumba environment, where shoes need to be slippery.
Q. How Often Do Zumba Shoes Need Replacing?
Not as often as you might think! We here at Shoe Guide generally will recommend between nine and 12 months. We also suggest not wearing them outside of your Zumba class. This is one of the most tragic mistakes that can be made and decrease the longevity of your Zumba shoes. Dance shoes, with their slippery outsoles, will wear out far faster than comparable running shoes that are meant for outdoor use.
Q. Do Zumba Shoes Need To Be Broken In At All?
Breaking in your Zumba shoes, while not required (at least with the recommendations above) is still suggested. Many Zumba professionals and participants will recommend putting your new Zumba shoes on and walking around with them on a carpeted surface. Alternatively, a bit of light dancing will help in ensuring your first full Zumba session is comfortable and pain-free. This lets your shoes loosen a bit, while also providing extra time for the feet to adjust to the traction needed.
Q. Can Orthotic Insoles Be Worn Inside My Zumba Shoes?
They definitely can, and you most definitely should! Please note that, if you are going with a style of Zumba shoe that has minimalist stylings, you are going to have far less space for both your insole and your foot. In these cases, we recommend choosing a Zumba shoe that mimics the size and shape of a typical sneaker.
Q. How Does Zumba Benefit My Health?
Unlike some fitness genres which focus on a limited number of physical benefits, Zumba is a fitness activity that covers a whole range of health and fitness areas, that benefit you in lots of ways. Bear in mind there are Zumba routines that can cater to a specific benefit if you wish to pursue one.
Wrapping Up
Please remember that Zumba workouts are intense. As such, they provide an extensive range of health benefits. Wearing the proper footwear can lower the chance of injury for this low-impact exercise.
No matter your experience level or age, the incorporation of a bit of Zumba into your schedule now and then can provide tremendous positive benefits to your overall mood and health.
We at FootwearCorner are hopeful that this guide has provided you with the necessary information to choose the best Zumba shoes on the market today. Thanks for reading, and have fun dancing!
