Find Your Size

Many Irish dancers have come to realize that Irish dance shoe sizing is never an exact science, as foot mechanics and fitting preferences vary widely from dancer to dancer. Therefore, whether you know your UK/Irish size or not, you may feel more comfortable contacting us in advance of your purchase.

The more information you provide us with, the better our estimate will be. Useful information includes: current brand and size of hard shoe and soft shoe (we will assume sizing is in UK/Irish unless otherwise specified); any details about fit you think may be important; current street shoe (NOT sneaker) size; and foot tracings with measurements.

You may also decide to purchase more than one size and/or style to try, keeping only the correct size and/or style for the dancer and promptly returning the other(s), upon receipt of which you will receive a product refund under the terms of our Refund Policy.

Please note that while we will make every effort to provide you with the best sizing estimate possible based on the information you provide us with, we cannot accept liability for return postage in the event where sizing is incorrect (unless, of course, we send you a size other than that which was ordered).

The sizing guidelines below are meant only as a general guide. We have also included answers to some of the most Frequently Asked Questions regarding sizing below, which we hope you will find helpful.

As a general rule ... sizing is as follows: 
From USA JUNIOR street shoe size – go UP one FULL SIZE to get UK*
From USA ADULT street shoe size – go DOWN a FULL SIZE to get UK** 

* Please note, in some cases a UK size may be classified as and adult while still being a small shoe size for a child (e.g., a 13 USA Junior is a 1.0 UK Adult).

** There is a small crossover for USA Junior and Adult sizes (e.g., there is both a 5.0 Junior and 5.0 Adult) - to find the correct UK size, please be sure to you know if you are sizing from a Junior or Adult before converting!   

How To: Foot Tracings & Measurements

(1) The dancer should wear the socks they wear when dancing. (2) The dancer should sit down, place their foot on a piece of plain paper on a hard surface, scoot forward in their chair and bend their knee slightly forward. (3) If possible, someone other than the dancer should trace around each foot holding their pencil straight up and down at all times. Do not tip the pencil under the foot at any point (pay particular attention to this when tracing around the heel and instep). (4) From these tracings, take two measurements for each foot: the length from the longest toe to the back of the heel and the width across the widest part of the foot.

Answers to Some Frequently Asked Questions

What is a correctly fitted hard shoe? Getting a proper fit is very important in any dance shoe. If dance shoes are improperly fit, a dancer's feet will tend to shift and move easily within the shoes and, as a result, they will be unable to properly control their balance or dance posture. While fitting preferences vary from dancer to dancer and teacher to teacher, most agree that the foot arch should be correctly positioned in the shoe so that the foot and shoe bend at the same location, with the arch fully supported, allowing the toes to remain straight. The space in front of the toes should be the smallest possible without actually rubbing. A dancer's shoe fit should be comfortably snug and should not hurt. Ultimately, the shoe for you is the one that best fits your foot, meaning that you feel stable and balanced in the shoe and it feels secure on your foot without pinching or numbing, and moves with you - your shoe should never be half a step behind you.

One foot is longer than the other, what do I do? Many people have feet of different sizes. We recommend you fit to the larger of the two.

Does it make a difference what time of day I try on the shoes? We recommend that you try on the shoes or have them fitted at a similar time as when you will be wearing them, as feet may expand as much as a half size or more during the course of the day. Your feet are largest at the end of the day.

Does your foot size change even after your teens? Yes, your foot size may change with age, weight changes and other factors.

My friend's foot is the same length as mine, but she wears a different size shoe than I do, why? It is important to note that two feet which are the same length, may each require different size shoes as there are different fittings for short-toed feet and long-toed feet. Proper shoe-fitting incorporates not only overall length (heel-to-toe) but also arch length (heel-to-ball). Shoes are designed to flex at the ball of the foot. A correct fitting properly positions the ball joint in the shoe. Of course, in addition to foot mechanics, a dancer's and/or teacher's fitting preference may vary widely from your own.