Trade secrets
Some manufacturing secrets... of our high-heeled shoes
Conceived and designed in France, our Argentine tango shoes are handmade in Portugal by a small team of craftsmen with tremendous ancestral know-how, capable of producing exceptional work .
In this article , Puretrend explains to us that Portugal has become a key player in the high-end shoe industry in recent years.
Lalatango were initially designed for dance , and in particular Argentine tango . They meet more demanding criteria than shoes used for “the city”.
Stability but not rigidity
To feel comfortable and avoid fatigue, Argentine tango dancers need stable shoes . Technically, improving stability is achieved by stiffening the sole of the shoes . However, it is unpleasant to dance tango with rigid shoes : you lose the sensation of contact with the ground! Conversely, shoes that are too flexible are not stable and are quickly tiring, even dangerous. A compromise must therefore be found between flexibility and stability.
At Lalatango , the “insole” (which is the insole from which the shoe is assembled) has been reinforced. Only on the part that does not touch the ground, under the arch of the foot: this allows good stability while preserving the flexibility of the sole at the front on the ground!
Arch support
The shape of Lalatango shoes is designed to provide optimum support for your arch. It ensures exceptional comfort for dancing tango until the end of the night!
Metatarsal relief
The part of the foot that suffers the most during a milonga is generally located at the joint between the metatarsal and the phalanges . This is normal, this part supports all the weight of the body when you pivot.
And all tango dancers know it: the pain can be intense...
To avoid this major inconvenience, your Lalatango shoes (whether heels, leader shoes or training shoes) are equipped with several millimeters of an exceptional material, Poron®, an ultra comfortable and cushioning foam which CONSIDERABLY reduces the pain caused by hours of practicing Argentine tango with numerous pivots.
This material also has shape memory, meaning it supports the pressure of your feet very well without deforming over time (that is to say without "printing" in 3D the imprint of your toes as we so often see on our old shoes), which would definitely cause it to lose its qualities...
Full sizes and half sizes
Lalatango offers you its tango shoes in full and half sizes.
So, if your feet are a little wide, simply choose half a size larger than your usual size in order to benefit from a greater width without having the feeling of wearing shoes that are too long (which is undoubtedly the case when you have no other choice than to take a size larger than yours so as not to feel cramped…).
Likewise, if there is a small difference in size between your two feet, this allows you to choose the size where your stronger foot is more comfortable, without the other being too large.
Material quality
The upper of the shoes is made of leather. It’s not just any leather! It is carefully selected for its comfort, aesthetics and durability qualities. These are essential qualities when putting on dancers' feet for hours on the floor.
The shoes are always lined; the lining is always in real leather, as for the insole (insole).
The outsole of the heeled shoes is also made of leather, a leather perfectly suited to the dance floor.
This is a strong and durable sole, the same one found in luxury or high-end dress shoe brands. It is perfectly usable in the city as well as for dancing.
So you can use your heeled shoes on the street as well as on the dance floor! However, it is much preferable to have a pair (or several!) reserved for dancing, so as not to dirty the floor of the milongas.
Do you have to put a “pad” (or a rubber sole) under your heeled shoes to use them in the city?
This is not essential, and we do not recommend it because your shoes will lose their flexibility, which also contributes to comfort. Do this only if you plan on heavy use on rough ground.
But if it rains, will the leather sole hold up?
Yes.
The sole leather is thicker and stiffer than that used for the upper of the shoe (= the upper). Its manufacturing is different. Its tanning takes longer (the leather is then immersed in different baths of aqueous solutions... so it macerates for a long time in water!), it is then compressed.
In short, the sole is water resistant too. Although it is better to avoid doing miles in the rain. And remember to dry your shoes well when they get wet.
The leather of the sole of our heeled shoes is covered with a protective film at the time of purchase to allow you to try on the shoes without damaging the sole. Be careful, however, to try with great moderation because the film is very thin, and if you decide to return the pair it will only be accepted if there is no visible trace of use. Do your tests on a rug or carpet. Leave the protective film on until you have decided, because if you decide to return the shoes they will not be accepted without the presence of this film.
Since flat shoes (leader shoes) have a split leather ("suede") sole, they should not be used outdoors.