Frequently asked questions

A dance sneaker has to do four things: turn without catching, absorb repeated impact, hold the foot without squeezing it, and stay light enough for hours. Turning comes from pivot points molded into the sole. Cushioning comes from the insole. Every Pulse Dance Shoes sneaker carries two SPYNFLEX® pivot points, one under the ball of the foot and one under the heel, and a 10 mm heel-to-toe drop.

Check four things. The sole: pivot points that let the foot turn, rather than a flat gripping sole. The insole: enough cushioning to last a full class. The width: standard, or a genuine 2E to 4E if you need room across the ball of your foot. And the returns policy, because fit is the one thing you cannot judge online. Free returns* for 30 days.

Dance sneakers are sneakers built for dancing rather than for walking or running. The difference is in the sole: a dance sneaker has smooth pivot zones that let the foot rotate on the spot, where a running sole grips and resists the turn. They are made for indoor and outdoor floors, and they look like ordinary sneakers, so they can be worn to class and kept on afterwards.

A regular sneaker is built to grip, because walking and running need traction, and that grip is what catches during a turn. A dance sneaker puts smooth pivot zones in the sole so the foot can rotate on the spot, and keeps texture around them so you still hold when you plant. Pulse Dance Shoes sneakers carry two pivot points, under the ball of the foot and under the heel.

Trainers will get you through a class. The difference shows in the turns and in the third hour: a running sole grips when you want to rotate, and it is not built to absorb repeated impact in one spot. A dance sneaker puts pivot points under the foot for the turn and an insole under it for the hours.

A pivot point is a smooth circular zone molded into the sole so the foot can rotate without the sole gripping the floor. Pulse Dance Shoes sneakers have two, one under the ball of the foot and one under the heel, each ringed by texture bands that give grip when you plant. Two points mean the turn can start from the ball or from the heel.

Dance soles are usually suede, rubber or polyurethane. Suede glides well on wood but wears through quickly outdoors. Rubber grips, which is what catches during a turn. Every Pulse Dance Shoes sole is polyurethane, and the current range runs on SPYNFLEX®, a composite with two pivot points. It holds a controlled glide and handles concrete.

Pulse Dance Shoes makes Flow 2 Wide in a true 2E to 4E width, with more room across the ball of the foot and the toes. It uses the same SPYNFLEX® sole and the same 10 mm heel-to-toe drop as the standard-width styles, with a removable GROOVECLOUD® Wide insole. Order your normal sneaker size. If you usually size up to find width, you do not need to here.

Line dancing is hours of repeated steps, quarter turns and heel work on one patch of floor, so the shoe needs cushioning that lasts and a sole that turns without catching. A dance sneaker with pivot points does both. Flow 2 is the usual choice for line dancers: a structured low-top with a higher-cut collar, on a GROOVECLOUD® insole.

Line dancers wear boots, dance sneakers or a soft-soled shoe, and the choice comes down to how long you are on your feet. Boots look the part and give you very little cushioning. A dance sneaker gives you pivot points for the quarter turns and an insole built for hours of repeated steps, in a shoe you can keep on after class.

Shuffling repeats a running man and T step for long stretches, so the sole has to slide where you send it and stop where you plant. Pulse Dance Shoes sneakers use two SPYNFLEX® pivot points with texture zones around them, smoother at the pivot centers for the glide and grippier toward the edge so the plant holds. The polyurethane sole handles concrete as well as a studio floor.

Hip hop and street dance put weight through drops, freezes and fast changes of direction, so the shoe needs a cushioned heel and a sole that turns on the spot without catching. Pulse Dance Shoes sneakers carry two SPYNFLEX® pivot points and a reinforced shock-absorbing heel, and the polyurethane sole works on concrete as well as a studio floor.

Zumba is an hour of continuous lateral movement and turns on a gym or studio floor, so a sole that releases through a turn matters as much as one that grips. A running sole is built to hold, which resists the rotation. Pulse Dance Shoes sneakers use two SPYNFLEX® pivot points that let the foot turn on the spot, with a cushioned insole for the repeated impact.

That depends on the sole. A suede sole is made for indoor floors and wears through quickly on concrete. Every Pulse Dance Shoes sole is polyurethane, built for both, so one pair covers a studio floor, an outdoor social and the walk home. Nothing about them announces itself as a dance shoe.

Yes, though carpet is slower than a sprung floor or vinyl, so a turn will not travel as far. The pivot points still release; the carpet is simply doing more of the gripping. Carpet is also the surface we recommend for trying a new pair indoors, because it keeps the sole clean and the shoes resellable.

Turning in a shoe that grips twists the knee, because the foot stays planted while the body rotates. A pivot point lets the foot turn with you instead. Pulse Dance Shoes sneakers carry two SPYNFLEX® pivot points and a GROOVECLOUD® or removable ORTHOFLOW® insole that absorbs repeated impact. That is a design point rather than medical advice: if you have a knee problem, speak to a physiotherapist.

Spot clean the upper with a microfiber cloth and warm water. For tougher marks, a small amount of mild soap does the job. For the sole, scrub gently with warm soapy water and a soft cloth or an old toothbrush, then wipe dry. Avoid harsh chemicals and abrasives, and do not put them in a washing machine. Full detail is in our care and cleaning guide.

Order your normal sneaker size. If you are between sizes, measure your foot and use the size guide, which lists the foot length for every size. Clearance styles from the original range run slightly big, so take half a size down there. Free exchanges* for 30 days either way.

Stand on a sheet of paper with your heel against a wall, mark the end of your longest toe, and measure from the wall to the mark in centimeters. Do it late in the day, when your feet are at their largest, and measure both feet. Read the larger number off the size chart on any product page. That measurement is what the chart is built from.

It varies by brand, and there is no standard across the category. Pulse Dance Shoes sneakers in the current range are true to size, so order your normal sneaker size. The size guide works from measured foot length rather than a converted chart, so measuring your foot and reading it off directly is the surest method. Free exchanges* for 30 days.

Yes. Flow 2 Wide is a true 2E to 4E width, with more room across the ball of the foot and the toes. It runs on the same SPYNFLEX® sole and the same 10 mm heel-to-toe drop as the standard-width styles, with a removable GROOVECLOUD® Wide insole. Order your normal sneaker size. If you usually size up to find width, you do not need to here.

Every style in the current range has a 10 mm heel-to-toe drop, meaning the heel sits 10 mm higher than the toe. A drop in that range keeps the hips over the feet and takes some load off the calf through long sessions, without tipping you forward the way a higher drop can.

SPYNFLEX® is a proprietary composite polyurethane sole with two pivot points molded into it, one under the ball of the foot and one under the heel. The pivot centers are smooth so the foot rotates instead of catching, and texture bands ring them so you still have grip when you plant. Two points mean you can turn on the ball or on the heel.

Both. Every Pulse Dance Shoes sole is polyurethane, built for indoor floors and outdoor ground alike, so one pair covers a studio, an outdoor social and the walk home. It handles concrete as well as a sprung floor.

Every style runs on the same SPYNFLEX® dance-engineered sole, so the choice comes down to style, how light and flexible you want the shoe, and how much floor feel you want. Flow 2 is a structured low-top with a higher-cut collar, on a GROOVECLOUD® insole. Nova is a clean, low-profile court silhouette on an ORTHOFLOW® insole. Volt has a premium cotton canvas upper, soft and breathable. Flow 2 Wide is a true 2E to 4E width. See them side by side on the compare page.

Pulse Dance Shoes sells direct, with a local site, local currency and local delivery for the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Germany. Every pair ships free*, returns are free* for 30 days, and exchanges are free* if you only need a different size.

Processed in 1 to 2 business days; most orders arrive within 7 to 14 days, and can take up to 27 business days. Express shipping is available at checkout. Import duties and taxes, where they apply, are the customer's responsibility.

Try them on indoors on a clean, soft surface first. If you need a different size, exchange within 30 days (return shipping terms for your country are in our returns policy). Use the size guide on every product page: it works from your foot length.

Returns and exchanges within 30 days: if the size is not right or you change your mind, send them back unworn for a refund or a swap. Return shipping for your country is set out in our returns policy.

They are water resistant and stain resistant, not waterproof. The upper sheds a splash and wipes clean, so light rain on the way in is fine and a spilled drink is not a disaster. Do not put them through a washing machine. A damp cloth and a little patience lifts more, and will not soften the materials.

Scrub the sole with warm soapy water and a soft cloth or an old toothbrush, then wipe it dry. That lifts most floor marks. Avoid harsh chemicals and abrasives, which dull the polyurethane and wear the texture off the sole.

All of them. The sole is built to turn on the spot and to grip when you plant, which is what line dancing, shuffling, salsa, bachata, west coast swing, zouk, kizomba and hip hop each ask for in some order. They work indoors on a sprung or vinyl floor and outdoors on concrete.