Men’s Tap Shoes

There are various types of men’s tap shoes. A tapper (the one who tap dances) can either choose a street shoe (with additional overlaid sole) or specialty dance shoes. Men’s tap shoes have a thin fiberboard spacer which is glued and tacked on the sole of the tap shoe.

Rubber heels are replaced with stacked leather heels made of cobbler. Fiber or sometimes metal shanks are built along the length of the sole for added stiffness.

The variety of men’s tap shoes can run from “light jazz tap shoe” that has taps over suede sole and light toe box to a robust two-tone shoe that has a double sole with a reinforced toe box and support shank called the “spectator” shoe.

There are three major types of men’s tap shoes; these are the “supertone”, “duotone” and the “teletone”.

Although men’s tap shoes are hard to find, you can find them on the internet. Listed below are the top manufacturers and their websites of men’s tap shoes.

Capezio Ballet Makers, Inc. (www.capeziodance.com)

Capezio started manufacturing dance shoes since 1887. Their products are sold through dance supply store.

Capezio Ballet Makers men’s tap shoes has a reinforced boxed toe, a non-skid rubber patch to prevent slipping, stacked leather heel, with an optional flexible fiber shank,  a choice of teletone taps or house issue taps. They have Oxford and two-tone Spectator styled men’s tap shoes.

Their two-tone master rhythm men’s tap shoes features are made up of highest quality materials and high quality workmanship; doubles-stitched upper seams for added durability; full-width untapered heavyweight sole (with an choice of double or triple in thickness) and an all leather heels (can be customized to match the sole thickness);  and high-density shock absorbing heel pads.

The Capezio taps are flexible and light which allows the tapper to move efficiently through the dance steps.

Leo Dancewear, Inc. (www.leosdancewear.com)

Formerly known as Leo’s Advanced Theatrical Company, Leo Dancewear, Inc. has been selling men’s tap shoes to 16 countries since 1924. Their best selling men’s tap shoes is the “split sole jazz tap”.

It has been in the market since 1996. The “split soles jazz tap” is based on the split sole jazz oxford. However it features a one inch heel and toe box that is primarily designed for toe stands. The shoe was designed to show off the feet the same way as a split sole jazz and ballet shoes does.

It has no shank and the inner soles are lined with “dri-lex”. “Dri-lex” is a perspiration wicking material that keeps that keeps the feet dry and has a “cushy” feeling when touched. The men’s tap shoes are “fibre tone master taps”. It has a crisp and clear tone.