Best Tap Shoes in 2021

When it comes to dance performance, the correct footwear selection plays a key role in countering your movements. Dance shoes come in many different styles, citing point, oxfords, split-soles, and many other molds as the top contenders for usage. The tap inclusion is a weighted mechanism that helps to create friction with the surface, producing those lovely tones that match musical compositions and floor routines.

If you are a beginner, there are few informational streams that guide you to the correct model, leaving you puzzled and lost. Below, we will introduce 10 different tap shoe types, spanning the inclusion to mark both genders, width types, beginner models, and children's pairings. Following the product list is a comprehensive review guide that helps the buyer locate certain components of the shoes in the purchasing process. This guide can also help the user apply fit and type to their selection, adjusting to the right fit for the prescribed usage rate.

10 Best Tap Shoes

Bloch Women's Tap-Flex Slip-On Tap Shoe

The brands included in tap shoe production spans a small list. One of the top names extending into this space is Bloch. Their production types span many different fits, heel types, and product stylings to bring the consumer a variety in selection. Their Tap-Flex model is the perfect fit for those who struggle with lockdown and fitting. This model is built from a slip-on design, allowing the user to apply a simple fit. The outer shell is designed from a leather build, resisting pressures and standing up to the test of time. The upper features an elastic surrounding, allowing the user to stretch the fabric in all directions. This elasticity carries overtop the foot, allowing for full stretch back for the user to apply the correct fitting. This material returns to form, applying the correct instances of lockdown around and overtop the foot. The shell also features side-by-side stitching patterns at the midfoot area, helping to keep the proper mold when facing lateral pressures and movements.

The interior of this model is lined with Kashmir materials, keeping a thin surrounding to greet the foot. This material is lightweight and assists in reducing moisture build-up with its wicking properties. There is also a heel pad included at the interior. This helps to diffuse pressures and increase the overall comfort for the user when performing heel taps. The outsole of this model is built from leather, housing the plates as the main extensions to the surface. The leather design helps emit natural movements from the foot, creating natural patterns of shifts and foot extensions. The plates utilized are of the shockwave design. This plate is built to reduce the pressures and absorb the shocks on contact, creating a smooth ride for the user throughout the routine. Two plates are separated at the undercarriage of the toe box and the heel, creating natural arch support with a hike at the midfoot area. An extended heel creates for a smooth platform of push-off and helps to support the heel.

Theatricals Adult Lace Up Tap Shoes, T9500

When it comes to applying a model for the beginning tapper, Theatricals has you covered. Their lace-up model features a basic design with a platformed heel, extending the usage stream to both genders. This model type also expands to the junior and children's spaces, marking for a great opportunity for a starting shoe. This model is built from synthetic leathers, allowing for a lightweight build that carries strength components. The lace box allows for an applied fitting and the tongue sits flush overtop the foot. The combination of these two features creates for an applied lockdown that can be adjusted for comfort. The insertion point is lined with elastic fabrics, allowing for stretching upon insertion. The rear upper features a thick, padded collar, helping to ease the pressure on the heel/ankle and increasing the holding in this region. The outer shell features stitching elements that benefit the user. Side-by-side patterns run from the outsole to the insertion point, creating a strong mold of stability at the midfoot. A stitched line runs from the rear to the upper, creating a natural heel counter. This increases the stability for the user and applies upright positioning.

The interior is lined with a thin sock liner. This helps to reduce the build-up of moisture and creates an influx of air streams through the fabrics. This material is also removeable at the insole, allowing for the user to supply their own inserts if need be. The outsole is built from rubberized components, creating for a strong base for the taps to extend from. Both taps are screwed in at the undercarriage of the toe box and at the heel, allowing for proper spacing at the arch. The undercarriage of the arch features a non-skid, treated rubber that helps reduce marking upon the surfaces traveled. A platformed heel creates additional stability streams at the rear of the shoe, helping to apply fluid movements that allow for lateral functioning.

Capezio Women's N625 Jr. Tyette Tap Shoe

Capezio represents one of the largest brands in the tap shoe industry. Their product builds expand upon the different levels of tap, creating applied functioning for different areas of craft. Their Tyette model is the perfect build for those who enjoy a little more freedom in movements, applying sizing availability that meets any sized foot. This model is built from a synthetic shell, keeping the overall weight of the shoe low. This Mary Jane design is coined for the synthetic strand that extends overtop the midfoot. This lockdown mechanism can be adjusted to apply holding in specific areas, wrapping overtop the foot for increased support. The insertion point extends down the shell, creating a roomy fit for the foot. This region is also surrounded by an elastic collar, helping to stretch for fitting and returning to form for an applied hold. The rear of the upper features reinforced padding that caps overtop the, creating a natural stability shank that holds true to form.

The interior of this shoe is lined with microploy materials, a lightweight substance that influences the overall breathability of this model and helps to wick away moistures. The insole is created with a memory foam foot bed, increasing comfort streams for the user and applying shock absorption at the point of contact. This insole also caters to the natural design of the foot, applying beneficial properties for any foot size. The outsole is made from synthetic rubbers, which creates a sold and forgiving platform for the user to work from. Two taps are included underneath the toe box and the heel. These taps are made from a Teel-Tone design, a proprietary measure that limits the vibration felt by the user while increasing the fluid streams of sound production from contacts. Proper arch hike is also included for increased support at the midfoot region.

Men's Miller & Ben Tap Shoes Jazz-Tap Master

When it comes to high-end and durable performance, Miller & Ben has the tap market cornered. Their performance models are built to withstand the test of time with construction means to host heavy usage rates. Their Jazz-Tap Master model is the perfect men's fit for fashionable design and excellent performance quality. This model is built from an all leather shell. This shell features heavy amounts of stitching, keeping to the proper mold and helping to resist the threat of pressures and cave-ins. Stitched paneling extends to create a natural toe box, creating the width the toes require for natural splay. Additional leather paneling is located at the rear, creating a natural heel counter. This helps to keep the user moving in the proper, upright position and increases overall stability. A full-lace system greets the upper, with metal eyelets that withstand the rigors of time and usage. A plush tongue meets the top of the foot, creating an ample amount of lockdown that allows for individual adjustment.

The interior of this model is lined with a thin fabric. This fabric helps to reduce the build-up of moisture and it is breathable, allowing air to flow to and from the shoe. The outsole is designed from compressed wood and leather, creating the strong platform one desires for push-off and solid standing. The leather coverage helps resist abrasions and increases the protection of the mold. This outsole is thick in nature, helping to reduce the threat of pressures and shocks. The taps are placed underneath the toe box and heel to allow for arch spacing and hike. The design also slopes upward from front to back, allowing for the proper, reinforced support at the heel.

Capezio Women's CG17 Fluid Tap Shoe

It was mentioned previously that Capezio extends their builds to all fitting types, with their CG17 Fluid model reaching to the wide fit space for women. This model creates a synthetic shell that is treated to give it rich, dark patterns of coloring. This model also utilizes the lace-up design. These laces lay flat and include a flush tongue, helping to apply a snug fit for the user. The shell also takes on a full-coverage design, implementing small stitches at the sides and the rear to help hold the mold while allowing for lateral functioning. The insertion point is also widened for easy access. The interior features a thick, protruding padding that helps surround the foot with comfort. This applied design it utilized to compromise for the widened mold, allowing for a snug fit even after spatial increases. The interior also utilizes a microfiber lining, which helps to reduce upon the build-up of moisture and keeps the interior breathable.

The included taps come from the same Teel-Tone design that is proprietary to the brand. The outsole of this model takes on a stacked, rubber/synthetic composition. This allows for increased support and greatly reduces the threat of pressures and shocks. A non-marking, rubberized panel is also included at the undercarriage to prevent against scratching or scuffing surfaces. The two taps are placed at the front and the rear, creating enough spacing for a arch hike and support at the midfoot region. The taps are also housed within the range of the underlying material, helping to increase overall stability for the user and allowing them to apply greater force without having to worry about vibration offsets.

Creating the flash for the men's space is MSMAX. This silver-colored model draws attention to the foot, calling for consistency in your tapping. This lace-up model is built from PU leather, creating the maximum terms of flexibility. This allows the user to stretch and pull the material to reach the desired fit. It also returns to form, operating with the elasticity of a spandex material. The full-lace system allows for the user to apply the desired level of lockdown, also working to improve the ease of fit for the user. The insertion point is angled to create rises at the midfoot and the rear, increasing the protection coverage of the foot. Elegant stitching is also applied at the sides and the rear, creating midfoot and heel supports. The interior is lined with a lightweight, mesh-like material. This helps to reduce upon the build-up of moisture and emits the proper flow or air to and from the shoe.

The outsole is built from synthetic materials, keeping with the notion of a lightweight build. The platformed, heel extension is flat and covers the entire heel portion. This creates steady streams of stability and will benefit the user upon push-offs and landings, limiting the pressures felt by the user. The synthetic build also allows for emitting the properties of a midsole, reducing shocks. The undercarriage of the toe box takes on a teamed design, with half tap coverage and half material coverage. This creates a larger platform for the user to work from, increasing the notion of natural and lateral movements.

Bloch Dance Women's Jason Samuels Smith Shoe

When it comes to terming an applied fit to tap shoes, a snug fit is the preferred reference point. Bloch has this narrowed fit nailed down with their Jason Samuels Smith model. This shoe is built with a leather shell, holding pat to the desired mold and resisting pressures and abrasions. The oxford design of the outer shell introduces elegant stitching patterns throughout the outer shell. This again works to benefit the hold of the mold, reducing cave-ins and allowing the user to utilize their natural movements. The upper features an extended lace-up system. This system features paneling that rises beyond the laces, increasing the protection at the midfoot. The collar is lined with thick padding elements. These padding inclusions grip the foot to a proper hold, helping to keep the narrowed design and fitting snug to the foot. The natural design takes on the form of the foot, rounding at the toe box to allow enough room for splay and comfort.

The interior is lined with canvas and Kashmir materials. The duality of these two materials combines to increase comfort streams and reduce upon the build-up of moisture. The enlarged insertion point creates the air flow access point, allowing for this model to be breathable. The outsole is created from a thick, stacked rubberized compound. The stacking helps to eliminate upon the threat of shocks and pressures. It is also an instrumental piece in providing stability and creating an even-keeled platform for the user to work form. Pieced taps are included at the front and rear. They are fully housed within the constraints of the overlying materials, keeping the user's functioning fluid and effortless to produce sounds and tones.

Men's Tent Linodes Leather Upper Jazz Shoe Slip-on

Extending to a differing ballpark of build comes this men's release from the Tent brand. This Jazz shoe design marks for the perfect mold for hosting taps. This model is built from leather materials at the outer shell. Stitching helps to separate the builds, with side-by-side stitches that create the space for elastic panels. These panels are located at the midfoot region and extend from outsole to upper. This slip-on model creates for an easy-to-access fit while returning to form for proper lockdown. A small stitching region also creates the separation of a heel counter for increased support at the rear. The upper creates material rises at the front and rear of the insertion point for increased protection and flush fitting. This design helps to keep the foot fully inserted, reducing internal slippage and movement.

The interior is lined with cotton materials, creating soft comfort that fully surrounds the foot. The insole also includes the notion of a heel cup, allowing for the heel to rest within a region that limits unwanted movements and induces proper placement for proper standing. The outsole of this model is minimal, allowing the user to come to closer contact with the surface. This is beneficial for implementing more natural movement streams. A small heel platform is extended from the shell. It is flat, allowing for a stable pattern of support. A thin layer of synthetic material underlies the toe box, keeping this region in close contact with the surface.

Dance Class Mary Jane Tap Shoe (Toddler/Little Kid)

When it comes to applying a fit for the youngsters, the Mary Jane mold creates for a desirable build. Dance Class has this mastered with their model for children. This model is built from synthetic means, hosting lightweight function throughout the entirety of the build. This design creates for a smooth look, utilizing a professional design with maximum functionality. The Mary Jane inclusion functions as a strap that wraps overtop the midfoot region. This strap features a Velcro lockdown, allowing the user to adjust the tightness to their liking. The build also allows for a rise in the heel, creating a build-up at the rear that keeps the user fully supported.

The interior of this model is lined with lightweight fabrics with help to cushion the sides of the foot. A light insole greets the step of the user to comfort cushions, molding to the shape of the foot for maximum functioning. The outsole is a platform that extends from the shell. This even layer helps to establish a small heel platform and angles as it reaches the front on the shoe. This platform is reinforced and stacked, allowing for pressure and shock relief. The taps are inserted at the front and the rear, allowing for the proper hike in the arch region. They also feature full overlay, allowing for them to emit the proper functioning without messing with the user's movement patterns.

American Ballet Theatre for Spotlights Girls' Mary Jane Tap Shoe

Being that the Mary Jane styling is the most utilized design in the children's space, our second offering from the American Ballet Theatre encompasses a similar build as our previous mention. This model is built from a synthetic shell, giving it that smooth finish while applying lightweight functioning. The Mary Jane strap on this model is locked down via a loop mechanism. This brass loop is located at the side of the shoe, tying the function to the look. The interior of this model is lined with a thin layer of mesh, allowing for the positive flow of air to and from the shoe. This design also implements the function of moisture wicking capabilities. The insole is build from a lightweight material, creating a comfort cushion that works with your movement patterns.

The outsole of this model is fused to the shell, helping this shoe to become conducive to individual movements. It is built from a rubberized compound and is thickened at the rear to provide a large block for heel support. The taps are separated into the front and the rear, creating for the natural rise at the midfoot for increased arch support.

Buyer's Guide for Tap Shoes

When it comes to selecting the correct pair of tap shoes, there are a few factors one must take into consideration. The many different stylings of shoes can also add confusion to the buying process, calling for some form of clarity. We've compiled this guide to go over the different type of material usage, build types, and other such factors to help clarify some of these burning questions.

Assessing the Differing Builds

Scouring through our list of inclusions will shed some light on the different types of models and builds tap shoes can shape to. One of the most popular builds is the Mary Jane design.

Capezio Women's Mary Jane Tap Shoe

These models function within different undercarriage designs but will have one thing in common: the shell takes on a ballet flat design with a strap included for lockdown. The mechanism utilized at the strap could be a tie down, buckle, Velcro, or a variety of other different mechanisms. More often than not, this strap functions as a part of the upper. This means it is built in and not held down by some other force. It is common to see this piece fused to the shell, working as a natural extension of the shoe. Builds extending to all genders and age ranges will utilize this option more times than not. It is beneficial for creating a simple fit and applying the correct amount of holding overtop the foot. Mary Jane builds are often lightweight options.

The slip-on design is another commonly used measure. Elastics and compressing materials are often teamed with this build to help apply the correct amount of holding and lockdown. The elastic inclusion almost becomes a necessity for fitting and lockdown reasons, so finding a slip-on model without elastic inclusions would mark for a red flag. These builds can often fully house the foot, limiting the amount of exposure and increasing the snug grip on the foot. The snug hold is the desired fit, so thick padding extensions within these models is another piece the user should look for.

The outsole design also can take on many different formats. The rule of thumb with this piece: the larger the heel, the more experienced the tapper. The balance offset increases as the heel gets larger, calling for a greater sense of attention to centering your weight on your feet. The large heels should be avoided by the beginning user or the younger dancers, as these will create for larger headaches than learning streams. If you wish to adopt the larger heel, ensure the material is stacked or reinforced. These heel platforms should also be thick and lay flat to the surface. Your stability depends on the flat nature of the platform, with the thicker platforms (in terms of width) benefiting the user who is just learning to gain the proper footing for desired taps and lateral movements. The more experienced user can get away with a smaller heel, which helps to benefit the entirety of their movements and taps.

The Different Tap Plates

There are a couple of different plate types we will go over as well. This list is not comprehensive, with other extensions coming from this category, but the two inclusions we will go over represent the top picks for the user.

As mentioned within the reviews, one brand relies heavily on their Teel-Tone plates. These plates are relatively flat and smooth. When they encounter the surface, especially a smooth surface, their noise emissions become more purified. If the properties of the surface match the undercarriage design, the reverberations created will deliver full sounds and increase the volume of the outcome. This is a friction-based sole that relies on the properties of the surface for full production. If you are a stage tapper, this design is the correct build for you.

The second model is the shockwave option. These tapes are a little coarser in design. This is done purposely to team a second mechanism to combat shock absorption. This surface is gritty to help reduce the feel of the vibrations as they are made. This benefits the user who has foot problems or becomes bothered when the continuous vibration of the foot. These help to diffuse pressures when in contact with the surface, with the coarse design helping to absorb pressures and reduce shocks.

These two are the most commonly utilized types. Others will angle the design, becoming utilized by those who have experience in the tapping field. Either one of these options makes for a fitting build for the user to choose from. Most of the major production brands offer replacements, so scouring through our included options is a great place to influence additional research in the plates space.

The Oxford Tap Shoe

The Oxford design is often utilized when creating dress shoes. The elegant design of the Oxford build centers around a greater attention to stitching and reinforcements. It disguises these function increase by utilizing design measures that keep the outer shell looking professional and presentable.

Capezio Men's Oxford Tap Shoe

The Oxford build also works to team the natural design of the foot at the interior shaping. It widens at the toe box, tightening at the midfoot, and extending a spacious area for the heel to sit. These models are often heavier because most sample from leather combinations and panel this material build to reinforce protections. If you are looking for a flashy model that continuously presents a professional look, the Oxford design is one you'll want to explore.

Conclusion

After deferring between the different products extending from this space and providing additional information commentary, it is time to release the best two products extending from our reviews. As far it relates to an editor's pick, the Bloch Tap-Flex Slip-On model meets all the requirements. This full-build shell is made from a leather design, teaming long-term usage with protection streams. The elasticity lockdown at the insertion point creates enough coverage to keep the foot fully inserted at all times. The thick, padded interior helps to create the snug fit desired in the tap space. The tap plates are also beneficial to reducing the shock and pressure felt by the user, increasing the period of usage the user can operate with. These features plus additional mentions mark for this model to become the best all-around option for the user. Extending from the Block brand also doesn't hurt the case for this top dog.

As it relates to a value pick, look no further than the offering from the Theatrical brand. Despite not being listed as one of the major brands within the industry, this company really nails down budget-friendly options that operate up to par with the bigger companies. This model is a lace-up version that allows the tongue to sit flush overtop the foot. The synthetic leather build creates for a simple shell with stitching in the correct regions for supportive increases. This model also is not gender specific and it also includes extensions into all age ranges at all fitting sizes. It marks the best value pick by price comparison, but also makes for the perfect starter kit for those who are just beginning with tap dancing.

When it comes to discovering your tap shoe type, look for the top brands as support. Their attention to detail and differing build types can help paint a better picture of the types of shoes existing within this space. Once you discover your build type, you can take a top-down approach to brand selection, marking for the increase in savings or looking for high-end model that is built to withstand the test of time. Also keep in mind that most of these brands create their own product lines of tap plates. These plates can function to different, supportive avenues, calling for applied function to lie within the hands of the user.