katherine:Similar topic, I have a question for you Jammers, as I know *nothing* about dancing. One of my Combat participants wanted to know if she could wear her Jam/dance shoes to combat--- they are the kind with the big split, like it splits the front half from the back half (are you laughing at my ignorance yet?)?
If you're talking real dance shoes and not the dance fitness ones Nike sells, I think your participant would have a hard time with the lateral movement in Combat.. The front half and back half of the sole is pretty high and the split in the arch area means there's not a lot of arch support. She might turn her ankle.
Also there's the problem of cushioning since Combat has a lot of
bouncing (pulses, for instance) and explosive movements (jump kicks,
etc.). I don't know if regular dance shoes have support for such movements.
The Nike dance fitness shoes (which are in my earlier post on this thread) are great for Combat as I've used them in class already. Although the sole appears split at the arch, it has a low profile, good arch support, and the lateral mobility is great.