I bought a pair of Capezio Roxy’s. They seem really loud compared to the character shoe I used to tap in. I have always had the teletone taps. Thank you for the shoe lace tip. I am going to try that. I enjoyed the review of each shoe.
I have 3 pairs of miller and bens and my trick to breaking them in is going to a tap convention class in them. An hour to an hour and 15 minutes of non-stop tapping above my level made it easy to break in bc my mind is on the choreo and I don’t have the opportunity to break or sit down
I’m an amateur tapper, I’ve been tapping in these lightweight Leo’s for 100 years and always loved them. I inherited a pair of well used M and Bs without taps from a former dancer for dancing Sean nos and I fell in love with them, all of a sudden I got these amazing clean shuffles while wearing those shoes! so I ordered a pair with taps and the thickness of the tap is actually so uncomfortable, like a big bump under my toes!! I’m still breaking them in, but I’m disappointed 😞 I was glad to hear you mention that this can actually be a thing, and that it can take more time to break them in. What is with that thick tap? My Leo’s tap is kind of shaved thin toward the back of the ball tap so there is not that big step up, it’s nice and smooth. Crazy.
I'm so glad that this review helped you! Some people swear by one shoe and other people can hate that exact same shoe, so I tried to be as unbiased as possible while sharing my own experiences with the shoe. I am putting together another shoe review featuring So Danca and another Capezio next. :)
As someone who has been tapping all of their life, recently graduated with my bachelors in fine arts, and is attempting to step into the professional tap dance world, I have been on the search for the proper shoe that is a. Sturdy, b. Pleasant sounding with a nice hollow deep tap, c. Cost-effective, and D. Supporting of the arches. I’ve always been a K360 triple build gal, but I’ve been on the search to try something new and I’ve heard such great things about the Jason Samuel shoes but was always skeptical because I typically enjoy customizing my pair. However, as soon as I laid my eyes on these bad boys I just had a look up the reviews for them because they are extremely similar to the K3 60 is minus the price which is always a plus, especially thanks to Covid. You sold me, I’m definitely getting two pairs. Great video! Much love 💕
You also had me at the fact that they are easy to break in, don’t get me wrong I love me some Miller and Ben shoes but my feet are forever scarred from that break in process. I’m so excited
And yes yes 1000 times yes, I tell my students this all the time: the shoe does not make the dancer you can be in Payless shoes and sound fabulous or you can wear build up customize tap shoes and sound like A mucky mess. A lot of the time too, Especially in regards to parents and students, they think that by getting built up shoes all of a sudden you’re going to transform into Savion Glover- when In reality, your feet and ankles need to have ground and maintained the muscles necessary to be able to hold your son or pick up your heels shadier sounds and in other words not sound like you’re dancing with cinderblocks on your feet. PS: if you’re getting Miller and bens, Wear socks, invest in a shoehorn so that you can stretch the leather, Only wear them for at least or at the most 30 minutes at a time so you can treat your feet nice, and actually which might sound weird it’s a good idea to sleep in them Because when you sleep your feet will sweat and it’ll make it easier to Mold your foot. Sounds crazy, but I swear it works
I'm so glad this video helped you!! The JSams are my favorite for sure, especially for the break in time. I pretty much kill a pair and then need to use the new one right away, so not having a painful break in of the next shoe is so important to me. :)
One thing I found out after buying a pair of the JSams is that they are a HEAVY shoe. They weigh 23 ounces each, which is almost double the weight of the 12 oz. Bloch Audio tap shoe. They are the weight of a framing hammer compared to a standard 16 oz hammer. I wouldn't recommend a framing hammer to a new user. I got the audio taps from a dancer's store with the help of a very experienced salesperson when I first started dancing at age 65. I am a man in pretty good shape, work out often, do tai chi etc. but she told me to buy that weight shoe. I used my JSams but found they made my knees hurt after an hour or two. I stopped using them. I do fine with my Audio taps but in no way am I a professional dancer.
Every foot/body is different and has different needs. The JSams work for me, but they won't for everyone else. I'll be doing another show review soon showing a few more pro/pre-pro options as well. I'm glad the Bloch Audios work for you!
Would you recommend Jason Samuel’s smith patent or regular leather for 13 year old competition dance? Past 3 years she has worn regular leather, now she wants lilac. Thanks!
Love your video! You mentioned that you would teach in the Capezio K360 if you didn't have your regular "teaching shoes." So I'm wondering, what do you teach in?
I teach in Miller and Bens when I'm on Marley floor because the sound is just so crisp and high pitched, better able to be heard. On wood or when I teach for more than two hours straight, I teach in JSams for comfort.
Oh. My. Goodness. I didn't know these shoes existed until just now and well...yes I would love to get some, review them, and love them forever. But goodness they are pricey! lol I will say yes I will, but unless this video goes viral and makes a ton in ad revenue (or any of my monetizable technique tutorials for that matter) it'll take me a while to save up for them haha. But they definitely caught my attention when I saw that THEY COME IN PLAID!!?!?? Thanks for the suggestion!!!
They are OFFICIALLY my favorite shoe I've ever worn. I basically only wear combat and platform boots when I'm not in tap shoes so for me it feels right at home to be in boots. I will say they are a bit restricting of the ankle, but that just takes some getting used to and otherwise they are amazing.
I have not had the pleasure of trying those yet. I have one that I would love to order, but currently I'm planning a wedding so my *excessive* tap shoe buying has to be on pause for a bit lol
I'm glad it was helpful! I figured, I have the shoes and I wear them all. I might as well tell people what I like and don't like about them. These are expensive so making informed choices is important :)
what are your thoughts on some of the flexible tap shoes (mine are capezios that feel like basically jazz shoes with taps). currently using the ones i have had since i was in high school (20 years ago lol) and im so used to their flexible soles that I'm scared to go to something more stiff but i also am craving a sound that has a little more substance behind it.
There are a lot of opinions about the split sole shoes, but my thing about shoes is that what works for one foot might not for another. They don't provide arch support, but some feet need more flexibility in the arch or they will get crunched. So it's completely up to the wearer. I will say the split soles don't have a great sound (it's flat and tin-like). The hard soled shoes take some getting used to but once you get in them you'll love it!
Thanks so much for this review Jenne! I’m looking to get a pair of JSams, but can’t decide between regular leather and patent leather? Do you prefer one over the other? I love the look of the patent but worry it would be too stiff and uncomfortable
I much prefer regular leather, but the Patent is great too. Just get an extra half size up in the Patent leather because they run smaller for some reason. I am a 9.5 in regular leather JSams, and a 10 in the patent. The patent colors are more fun, but for white and black I go with regular. :)
I tell my students that when their feet stop growing, they should look into getting the Jason Samuels Smith tap shoe as it's an affordable pre-professional/professional quality shoe. But i f your feet are still growing, it may be costly to keep growing out of them. The Bloch Chloe and Maud shoe is great and only about $100 a pair. I also like the Leo's Giordano tap. But my advice is to go to a local dancewear store and try on their shoes to see what fits you best. Every shoe is so different.
@@captainpike332 For men's sizes yes, it's about the same as street shoe :) For women's sizing you need a 1/2 size up for regular leather and a full size up for patent leather.
@@JenneVermes I found JSams on Amazon in Size 13 going for $150, while I have many street shoes in Size 14, I do have some in 13 that are comfortable! And admittedly, I'm feeling the white color :) Would you recommend the JSam's for a newb like me or should I stay away from them and go for something else?
Actually check out Discountdance.com to see what they have. They have great prices on a variety of shoes and I see many of them actually come in size 14! www.discountdance.com//dancewear/shoes/page1?rfilter=Age%23Mens%3ACategory%23Shoes%3ASubCategory%23Shoes%21Tap+Shoes&SID=1569669116
Hi, Jenne. Love your channel a lot! I would just like to ask about the size of your Jason Samuels Bloch shoes. Is it true to street shoe size? I'll be ordering all the way from the Philippines and to return just in case of wrong size is unfortunately not an option here. Would definitely appreciate your inputs. Thank you.
Hi there. For Women's sizing I would honestly size up 1/2 size if you aren't wearing socks, and 1 whole size if you are. I wear an 8.5-9 in street shoe and I get a 9.5 in JSams because I wear socks. I hope this helps!
I got jsams and it was a HUGE difference with sound and comfort. I love them! I see you don’t put on the grips... is that something you recommend? Or does that take a bit more expertise to get away with? I’m wondering if I made a mistake by putting them on!
It's just a personal preference. You definitely didn't make a mistake or anything. They will help you not slip if anything :) I didn't put them on for two reasons. 1. I was lazy about taking them to a cobbler haha and 2. I tend to rehearse for my shows on carpet (out in the hall before we can go into the show room) and the rubber tends to come up when you tap on carpet so I figured I'd leave it off. I'm glad you're loving the JSams! They are such a wonderful and comfortable shoe!
I’m late but I’m wondering what tap shoes you would recommend. I’ve been tapping for 15 years and I have been using the Capezio Riff off slip on shoes for a long time. I got a new pair but I’m having a lot of trouble with them slipping off the backs of my heels and I’m wondering if you have a specific recommendation for people with smaller heels
Mole skin is a little sticky pad that you put in the back of your shoes and it acts as a heel grip. That helped me a lot when I used those. Transitioning to laced shoes helped with that too for me because I can customize the fit of them to my feet a little better (it's why I tie my laces around the bottom too). I have a VERY narrow heel, so I know this struggle all too well. lol. I hope this helps!
I had this problem with a lot of shoes too because I also have smaller heels! I don’t know if you still need help with this, but with my first pair of Miller and Bens I found that this didn’t happen at all, and my heel probably slipped in them the least out of ALL the shoes I’ve tried (and i’ve tried a bunch haha). I owned a pair of Jason Samuels and found that they were really heavy and I didn’t like them very much...My heel doesn’t really slip out of my k360s but there’s definitely more movement than in my Miller and Bens. I own multiple pairs of M&Bs because they’re definitely my favorite shoe, especially because the heel problem is nonexistent. M&Bs are definitely more on the pricier side, but they’re so worth it! The sounds are so insanely good and clear. I like k360s a lot as well but I’m more partial to Miller and Bens and have been tapping in them for longer
I find Capezios too tight on the foot. I prefer JSS (though the new patent shoes are kinda ugly) or Ben and Miller. Both are comfortable but the JSS have louder tap sound.
I agree about the fit and the volume. The patent leather are growing on me, but I really wish I could have gotten the color I wanted and they would restock the ones that sell out (I really wanted gray).
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I bought a pair of Capezio Roxy’s. They seem really loud compared to the character shoe I used to tap in. I have always had the teletone taps. Thank you for the shoe lace tip. I am going to try that. I enjoyed the review of each shoe.
I have 3 pairs of miller and bens and my trick to breaking them in is going to a tap convention class in them. An hour to an hour and 15 minutes of non-stop tapping above my level made it easy to break in bc my mind is on the choreo and I don’t have the opportunity to break or sit down
This was so helpful for me, thanks!
I've watched a lot of tap shoe reviews and found yours the most helpful - thank you!
I'm so glad this was helpful! :)
I love the colours of K360's and their sound, the blue ones are gorgeous too :)
Thank you! I definitely love the color of the K360s on stage too! They just pop but in a subtle way!
I was looking for reviews between jsams and millers and your video came up- thank you!
I’m an amateur tapper, I’ve been tapping in these lightweight Leo’s for 100 years and always loved them. I inherited a pair of well used M and Bs without taps from a former dancer for dancing Sean nos and I fell in love with them, all of a sudden I got these amazing clean shuffles while wearing those shoes! so I ordered a pair with taps and the thickness of the tap is actually so uncomfortable, like a big bump under my toes!! I’m still breaking them in, but I’m disappointed 😞 I was glad to hear you mention that this can actually be a thing, and that it can take more time to break them in. What is with that thick tap? My Leo’s tap is kind of shaved thin toward the back of the ball tap so there is not that big step up, it’s nice and smooth. Crazy.
I'm so glad that this review helped you! Some people swear by one shoe and other people can hate that exact same shoe, so I tried to be as unbiased as possible while sharing my own experiences with the shoe. I am putting together another shoe review featuring So Danca and another Capezio next. :)
As someone who has been tapping all of their life, recently graduated with my bachelors in fine arts, and is attempting to step into the professional tap dance world, I have been on the search for the proper shoe that is a. Sturdy, b. Pleasant sounding with a nice hollow deep tap, c. Cost-effective, and D. Supporting of the arches. I’ve always been a K360 triple build gal, but I’ve been on the search to try something new and I’ve heard such great things about the Jason Samuel shoes but was always skeptical because I typically enjoy customizing my pair. However, as soon as I laid my eyes on these bad boys I just had a look up the reviews for them because they are extremely similar to the K3 60 is minus the price which is always a plus, especially thanks to Covid. You sold me, I’m definitely getting two pairs. Great video!
Much love 💕
You also had me at the fact that they are easy to break in, don’t get me wrong I love me some Miller and Ben shoes but my feet are forever scarred from that break in process. I’m so excited
And yes yes 1000 times yes, I tell my students this all the time: the shoe does not make the dancer you can be in Payless shoes and sound fabulous or you can wear build up customize tap shoes and sound like A mucky mess. A lot of the time too, Especially in regards to parents and students, they think that by getting built up shoes all of a sudden you’re going to transform into Savion Glover- when In reality, your feet and ankles need to have ground and maintained the muscles necessary to be able to hold your son or pick up your heels shadier sounds and in other words not sound like you’re dancing with cinderblocks on your feet.
PS: if you’re getting Miller and bens,
Wear socks, invest in a shoehorn so that you can stretch the leather, Only wear them for at least or at the most 30 minutes at a time so you can treat your feet nice, and actually which might sound weird it’s a good idea to sleep in them Because when you sleep your feet will sweat and it’ll make it easier to Mold your foot. Sounds crazy, but I swear it works
I'm so glad this video helped you!! The JSams are my favorite for sure, especially for the break in time. I pretty much kill a pair and then need to use the new one right away, so not having a painful break in of the next shoe is so important to me. :)
Do you know how the Triple Threat compare with Miller & Ben Jazz Tap Masters?
The triple threat have a higher platform and more resonance because of it. I prefer the triple threat over the jazz tap myself.
@@JenneVermes that's really helpful, thank you! ❤️
One thing I found out after buying a pair of the JSams is that they are a HEAVY shoe. They weigh 23 ounces each, which is almost double the weight of the 12 oz. Bloch Audio tap shoe. They are the weight of a framing hammer compared to a standard 16 oz hammer. I wouldn't recommend a framing hammer to a new user. I got the audio taps from a dancer's store with the help of a very experienced salesperson when I first started dancing at age 65. I am a man in pretty good shape, work out often, do tai chi etc. but she told me to buy that weight shoe. I used my JSams but found they made my knees hurt after an hour or two. I stopped using them. I do fine with my Audio taps but in no way am I a professional dancer.
Every foot/body is different and has different needs. The JSams work for me, but they won't for everyone else. I'll be doing another show review soon showing a few more pro/pre-pro options as well. I'm glad the Bloch Audios work for you!
Would you recommend Jason Samuel’s smith patent or regular leather for 13 year old competition dance? Past 3 years she has worn regular leather, now she wants lilac. Thanks!
Love your video! You mentioned that you would teach in the Capezio K360 if you didn't have your regular "teaching shoes." So I'm wondering, what do you teach in?
I teach in Miller and Bens when I'm on Marley floor because the sound is just so crisp and high pitched, better able to be heard. On wood or when I teach for more than two hours straight, I teach in JSams for comfort.
@@JenneVermes Thanks! Very helpful.
How do Jason's run for size.?
Womens, buy 1/2 to a whole size up (whole if you wear socks). Mens are true to size I think...
Can you buy/review Chanteloup shoes? They’re absolutely gorgeous and I wanna get a pair but I’m a little nervous cuz they’re super premium
Oh. My. Goodness. I didn't know these shoes existed until just now and well...yes I would love to get some, review them, and love them forever. But goodness they are pricey! lol
I will say yes I will, but unless this video goes viral and makes a ton in ad revenue (or any of my monetizable technique tutorials for that matter) it'll take me a while to save up for them haha. But they definitely caught my attention when I saw that THEY COME IN PLAID!!?!??
Thanks for the suggestion!!!
Have you tried the tap boots by Bloch? I have my eye on them.
They are OFFICIALLY my favorite shoe I've ever worn. I basically only wear combat and platform boots when I'm not in tap shoes so for me it feels right at home to be in boots.
I will say they are a bit restricting of the ankle, but that just takes some getting used to and otherwise they are amazing.
@@JenneVermes thanks for the reply! Getting my pair at the end of the month!!
Thoughts on rubens ????
I have not had the pleasure of trying those yet. I have one that I would love to order, but currently I'm planning a wedding so my *excessive* tap shoe buying has to be on pause for a bit lol
Thanks for this! It was really insightful and helpful!
I'm glad it was helpful! I figured, I have the shoes and I wear them all. I might as well tell people what I like and don't like about them. These are expensive so making informed choices is important :)
what are your thoughts on some of the flexible tap shoes (mine are capezios that feel like basically jazz shoes with taps). currently using the ones i have had since i was in high school (20 years ago lol) and im so used to their flexible soles that I'm scared to go to something more stiff but i also am craving a sound that has a little more substance behind it.
There are a lot of opinions about the split sole shoes, but my thing about shoes is that what works for one foot might not for another. They don't provide arch support, but some feet need more flexibility in the arch or they will get crunched. So it's completely up to the wearer. I will say the split soles don't have a great sound (it's flat and tin-like).
The hard soled shoes take some getting used to but once you get in them you'll love it!
Thanks so much for this review Jenne! I’m looking to get a pair of JSams, but can’t decide between regular leather and patent leather? Do you prefer one over the other? I love the look of the patent but worry it would be too stiff and uncomfortable
I much prefer regular leather, but the Patent is great too. Just get an extra half size up in the Patent leather because they run smaller for some reason. I am a 9.5 in regular leather JSams, and a 10 in the patent. The patent colors are more fun, but for white and black I go with regular. :)
I love blk patent best more compliments
I’m starting tap this year (I’m 13) I do other dance styles already, any suggestions of what tap shoes I should get?
I tell my students that when their feet stop growing, they should look into getting the Jason Samuels Smith tap shoe as it's an affordable pre-professional/professional quality shoe. But i f your feet are still growing, it may be costly to keep growing out of them. The Bloch Chloe and Maud shoe is great and only about $100 a pair. I also like the Leo's Giordano tap. But my advice is to go to a local dancewear store and try on their shoes to see what fits you best. Every shoe is so different.
Ok thank you 😊 I’m going to talk to my dance teacher then go to a local shop! I will keep those in mind though! 😃
Looking to get started with tap dancing, but I'm having issues finding shoes in my size (14 US). Any brands that carry shoes that big?
Bloch has large size shoes! The Jason Samuels Smith comes in sizes all the way through Men's 14 I think!
@@JenneVermes Yay! Are their shoe sizes the same as street shoe size?
@@captainpike332 For men's sizes yes, it's about the same as street shoe :)
For women's sizing you need a 1/2 size up for regular leather and a full size up for patent leather.
@@JenneVermes I found JSams on Amazon in Size 13 going for $150, while I have many street shoes in Size 14, I do have some in 13 that are comfortable! And admittedly, I'm feeling the white color :) Would you recommend the JSam's for a newb like me or should I stay away from them and go for something else?
Actually check out Discountdance.com to see what they have. They have great prices on a variety of shoes and I see many of them actually come in size 14!
www.discountdance.com//dancewear/shoes/page1?rfilter=Age%23Mens%3ACategory%23Shoes%3ASubCategory%23Shoes%21Tap+Shoes&SID=1569669116
Hi, Jenne. Love your channel a lot! I would just like to ask about the size of your Jason Samuels Bloch shoes. Is it true to street shoe size? I'll be ordering all the way from the Philippines and to return just in case of wrong size is unfortunately not an option here. Would definitely appreciate your inputs. Thank you.
Hi there. For Women's sizing I would honestly size up 1/2 size if you aren't wearing socks, and 1 whole size if you are. I wear an 8.5-9 in street shoe and I get a 9.5 in JSams because I wear socks. I hope this helps!
@@JenneVermes appreciate this information. Thank you so much for replying 😊🙏
I got jsams and it was a HUGE difference with sound and comfort. I love them! I see you don’t put on the grips... is that something you recommend? Or does that take a bit more expertise to get away with? I’m wondering if I made a mistake by putting them on!
It's just a personal preference. You definitely didn't make a mistake or anything. They will help you not slip if anything :)
I didn't put them on for two reasons. 1. I was lazy about taking them to a cobbler haha and 2. I tend to rehearse for my shows on carpet (out in the hall before we can go into the show room) and the rubber tends to come up when you tap on carpet so I figured I'd leave it off.
I'm glad you're loving the JSams! They are such a wonderful and comfortable shoe!
I’m late but I’m wondering what tap shoes you would recommend. I’ve been tapping for 15 years and I have been using the Capezio Riff off slip on shoes for a long time. I got a new pair but I’m having a lot of trouble with them slipping off the backs of my heels and I’m wondering if you have a specific recommendation for people with smaller heels
Mole skin is a little sticky pad that you put in the back of your shoes and it acts as a heel grip. That helped me a lot when I used those. Transitioning to laced shoes helped with that too for me because I can customize the fit of them to my feet a little better (it's why I tie my laces around the bottom too). I have a VERY narrow heel, so I know this struggle all too well. lol. I hope this helps!
I had this problem with a lot of shoes too because I also have smaller heels! I don’t know if you still need help with this, but with my first pair of Miller and Bens I found that this didn’t happen at all, and my heel probably slipped in them the least out of ALL the shoes I’ve tried (and i’ve tried a bunch haha). I owned a pair of Jason Samuels and found that they were really heavy and I didn’t like them very much...My heel doesn’t really slip out of my k360s but there’s definitely more movement than in my Miller and Bens. I own multiple pairs of M&Bs because they’re definitely my favorite shoe, especially because the heel problem is nonexistent. M&Bs are definitely more on the pricier side, but they’re so worth it! The sounds are so insanely good and clear. I like k360s a lot as well but I’m more partial to Miller and Bens and have been tapping in them for longer
I find Capezios too tight on the foot. I prefer JSS (though the new patent shoes are kinda ugly) or Ben and Miller. Both are comfortable but the JSS have louder tap sound.
I agree about the fit and the volume. The patent leather are growing on me, but I really wish I could have gotten the color I wanted and they would restock the ones that sell out (I really wanted gray).
The miller and ben make the best sound. Too bad they aren't comfortable!
How many pairs of tap shoes do you own?
Far too many to count lol. But I'd say ballparking it like 10
@@JenneVermes That's so cool :). Another question, have you ever tap danced in Capezio's Tapsonic tap shoes?