Cheer used to be a huge part of my everyday life. I had practice every single day and competitions every single weekend. There is a lot that goes into cheer: tumbling, stunting, facials, uniforms and very importantly, the shoes. Although it may not seem extremely important to an outsider, one of the biggest questions asked by cheerleaders is “What is the best cheerleading shoe?”. You can’t answer this easily because honestly, each shoe provides something different and there are several things to look into when going through this deciding process. You must look at:
1. The price
Find a shoe you can afford. Cheer shoes can be very pricey.
2. The comfort
In this sport, an uncomfortable shoe will not work out. You need a shoe with cushioning for hard landings in tumbling, flexibility for all the jumping, stunting and constant moving around, and a lightweight material so nothing is weighing you down when you are trying to get up off the ground. Keep in mind that they will need to be broke into, so they might not just be instantly comfortable right off the bat!
3. The fit/size
This is necessary to look into when looking at any shoe in general, but specifically for this sport a proper fit is needed for comfort but also safety.
4. The special features
You should look at the special features that the shoe includes. Some shoes have things like grooves to have a better grip when stunting, some shoes have straps instead of laces so you don’t need to worry about an untied shoe. These are all good things to look into so you know exactly what you are purchasing.
5. The style
Obviously you want to look good and like the way your shoes appear, but this should be the last thing determining your decision because the other things are overall more important.
When I did cheer for several years, these are the shoes that I wore. They were amazing quality and held up for years, never ripping or breaking at all throughout the many practices and competitions that I wore them to. They are more on the expensive end of cheer shoes, but the quality of them makes it worth it. Click on the photo to be taken to these exact shoes and purchase the same ones.
Here is a pair of cheer shoes that my sister wore for cheer. As you can see, hers did not hold up throughout the years. They were expensive, lightweight and breathable, but they ripped and broke while she was doing the same exact work that I was doing. I think seeing the comparison of the outcome of these two shoes shows why it is important to look more into the shoes before purchasing them and maybe also reading the reviews given on them as well.
I know cheer isn’t everyone’s thing, but I hope I could answer some questions for the cheerleaders that ARE out there! There are so many options when purchasing cheer shoes, you just need to find the right ones for you.
Shoeaholics Anonymous 