Split-Sole or Full-Sole?

Dancers and their feet are suffering due to a lack of information on split-sole versus full-sole tap shoes. For many dancers, tap comes as an accompaniment rather than the apotheosis of their career. With this in mind, the value of a supportive shoe is often set aside for more affordable options, and for these dancers who are looking for cheaper shoes, they may not know what damage these shoes can cause. Their wallets may feel the difference, but so will their feet.

Less expensive tap shoes lean toward being split-sole, meaning the bridge between the front ball of the foot and the heel can easily bend in half. Bloch offers the $87 Tap-Flex with a split-sole and caption “Full leather split sole allows the dancer a greater freedom of movement whilst maintaining support.” The issue with the center bending, however, is that the arch of the foot receives little to no support. As tap involves a great deal of stomping, jumping, toe-tipping, and forced weight shifts from foot to foot, without the right amount of support, injuries are bound to happen.

Split-sole shoes also lack the crisp and loud qualities that full-soles offer. As a tapper’s foot comes down onto a wood or marley stage, the split-sole shoe bends downwards and acts as a muffler for the sounds. The difference may not be evident without a full-sole for comparison, but experienced tappers will recoil at the thought of a split-sole performance. Not only is tap a form of dance, but also a musical and percussive creation. Just as a drummer would not use sticks or drums that inherently dampen their sounds, a tapper must utilize shoes that support them and their sound quality.

Full-sole shoes, however, work to avoid injury and also deliver the sharp and explosive sounds tappers dream of. Unlike the split-sole, the full-sole tap shoe, such as the $192 Jason Samuel Smith by Bloch, uses a stiff material to bridge the front and back of the foot. The Jason Samuels Smith shoe, or J Sams, uses a hard leather for this purpose. With this added support from the front to the back of the shoe, the shock from impacting the floor may be spread out rather than directly delivered to the toes or heel. With an even amount of pressure throughout the foot, a dancer is much less likely to sustain an injury.

The sounds produced by these shoes are thundering and pronounced. Even from the back of an auditorium, the full-sole shoe may be heard clearly by audience members. Regardless of whether someone performs tap exclusively or has a single tap piece within a performance involving other styles, an audience deserves to hear the percussive beats of this style at its best capacity. Therefore, it is the duty of a performer to not only give their best effort to the audience, but also to use the tools necessary for this feat.

The evidence may be clear that split-soles offer little more than an inexpensive option, but ultimately, the choice between split-sole versus full-sole depends on an individual’s values.