ISO most inexpensive place to buy ballet & tap shoes for 3 yr old

[kahplayground]

Hi Everyone,

We are finally taking the plunge and putting my 3-yr-old daughter in ballet/tap class. I have found reasonable leotards at Walmart, however, can't find a place that has reasonable ballet shoes and tap shoes. I don't want to spend a lot of money given 1. we don't know if she will enjoy the class and want to continue and 2. she could outgrow them at any given time before really getting any use out of them.

TIA,

Karin
Mom to Reagan 1/2005

[Wife_and_mommy]

I bought dd's tap/ballet shoes at consignment stores. They were both new/nearly new and $6.50-8 each.

If you only want new, Payless has both for around $14.

[new_mommy25]

We went to a local dance shop and got shoes for under $20. They're really nice quality and the lady fit them to DS's crazy wide feet. I would have picked the wrong size if I had bought them on my own.

DS's dance instructor said the payless shoes are really junk.

[kahplayground]

Thank you ladies!

Karin

[MMMommy]

I had posted here recently asking about where to buy tap shoes and many moms recommended Payless Shoe Source, so I second the Payless recommendation. I found tap shoes and ballet shoes there. I was able to get two pairs of tap shoes (for DD1 and DD2) at buy one, get one half off. If you need only one pair of ballet and one pair of tap, you could take advantage of a buy one, get one half off promo if available.

Here are the ballet shoes (also in white and black) for $16.99

http://www.payless.com/Catalog/ProductDetail.aspx?&TLC=Girls&SLC=GirlsDance&BLC=GirlsDanceDance&Width=Regular&ItemCode=55753&LotNumber=053567&Type=Youth&Popularity=477&DescriptiveColor=Pink

Here are the tap shoes:

http://www.payless.com/Catalog/ProductDetail.aspx?&TLC=Girls&SLC=GirlsDance&BLC=GirlsDanceDance&Width=Regular&ItemCode=55755&LotNumber=053570&Type=Youth&Popularity=130&DescriptiveColor=Black

[kahplayground]

Thank you soo much!

Karin

[supercalifragilous]

I second Payless. Unless your dance place has a "shoe recycling" program, Payless is the cheapest place during their BOGO sale. IME, they hold up great and DD is outgrowing them before they even look worn.

[mnosky1]

I bought tap shoes form shoebuy (capezio brand) becuase my daughter needed a wide. With a 20% off code I ended up paying less than than the ones at Payless. I bought Ballet shoes at Target (or maybe WlaMart?) - they are more like slippers though which worked fine for DDs beginner class.
Michelle

[KimMae]

I second/third the recommendations. My daughter is 2 1/2 and I got shoes from:

Payless
Resale shop (the good shoes from the dance store for 6-8)
Consignment sales
Hand me down from friend
Ditto for the leotards

So I'm stocked for a few sizes.

Re Payless quality. I don't buy their shoes for me or for regular shoes for the children - but really my daughter is wearing them for a maximum of 15 minutes a week and I don't think this can damage her feet or her Dancing Career.

G/L

[momof2girls]

The first year DD took dance, I bought her shoes from Payless. They seemed ok. HOwever, this past year I took a tap class ad tried out their tap shoes. They were HORRIBLE. I went and spent an extra $10 to get them from a dance shop and it was completely worth it. I don't know how I would have survived tap in the Payless shoes. THey were, in comparison, stiff and did not move naturally with my feet. I aldo went to a dance shop to get DD her tap shoes for this past year. I can't say she has noticed a difference, but I will likely forgo getting any more tap shoes from Payless.
However, we've never had a problem with Payless ballet shoes.

HTH

[egoldber]

I got Sarah's tap and ballet shoes from her dance studio and honestly they were basically the same price as the Payless ones. Her ballet shoes were $18 and the tap shoes were $25.