Another Dance Shoes Link

Last week I went ballroom dancing for the first time since the shin splint.  I stuck to slower dances: foxtrot, rumba, waltz.  I felt fine.

I went to Zoomba last night, and about 40 minutes in I could feel my shin again.  It didn't hurt, but it felt like a proto-hurt, maybe a pre-hurt, and so I stopped immediately and went home and iced it.

It's been almost a month since I went to the doctor for this.  I feel like it should be better.  I feel like it was better, but I injured myself as soon as I started dancing (or Zoomba-ing) again.

I think it's an arch support problem.  I know that I have an arch problem; there was a while when my feet hurt so much I could barely walk, and getting arch supports fixed it.  I knew that lack of arch support can be a factor in shin splints, but I discarded the idea because if I had an arch problem, I'd know, right?  My feet feel fine.  It can't be arches.  Except I think it is. 

I know that some heels, and I would hope most ballroom heels, have arch support.  But I don't know how to tell if mine do.  I don't really know what shoes are supposed to feel like, I just know that the wrong ones will hurt eventually but it's not a direct "put on shoe = pain" kind of equation.

Last week I was in my new gold heels and my leg was fine.  Last night I was in cheap sneakers and my leg started to hurt.  If I fix the arch problem, can I dance again?

I have insoles in my Chucks, but not in either of the two pairs of cheap sneakers that I DIY'ed into dance shoes.  (Glue fabric, like felt or flannel, to the soles of the shoe and presto! Dance shoe.)  If I add support to them, will that make a difference?

What if I go to a running store and tell them to find me sneakers that are flexible and REALLY good for my arches, and then turn THOSE into dance shoes?

Is this something I can or should see a doctor about?  Like a sports medicine kind of thing?  Am I overreacting?  Under-reacting?

There is a ballroom dance this Friday, and a swing dance the next day.  I am out of shape and getting worse and the longer I go without, the harder it is to dance and I miss it so damn much.

I googled "ballroom shoe arch support," and found this store.  This particular shoe is probably not any different from what I'm wearing, but it's pretty enough to keep a link handy.

Step One Dance Shoes

I really won't be buying new shoes anytime soon.  Including the DIY'ed sneakers, I have FIVE pairs of dance shoes.  I might add another pair this week.  I only have TWO pairs of regular shoes.  But there will be a time again when I feel acceptable splurging on pretty and frivolous things.  And that shoe right there?  LOVE it.