My wife and I have been attending ballroom and Latin dance lessons for nine months and on the advice of our teacher I decided that it was time to invest in a proper pair of dance shoes! I did a little research online and decided that I liked the look of the men's shoes from International Dance Shoes the most. I opted for Men's 'Gibson' in black calf, as they seemed to fit the bill for training and social dancing. The shoes were delivered quickly and efficiently. It's the first time that I have ever ordered footwear online, as I have always felt that shoes are something that you need to try on before purchasing. Indeed, the shoes were too small, even though I rarely deviate from a UK size 10, the Gibsons were significantly smaller than most of my 'normal' shoes. No matter! I spoke to someone at IDS who advised me on sizing and I re-ordered the same shoe in a UK size 11. I now have these and have been wearing them to our dance classes. The difference to 'normal' everyday shoes is significant; the Gibsons are super-soft and pliable with a suede sole that makes pivoting feel much easier and smoother. IDS operate an easy returns policy, so the original pair are on their way back at the time of writing. I think that for any beginner purchasing their first dance shoes, (without being able to try them on), there will inevitably be a little, 'trial and error' involved to get the size absolutely right - but once you have established this - fine! I'm delighted with my IDS shoes and will be ordering more from them!