Friday, February 4, 2011

¡Mama's got new dancing shoes!

So, along with being 6" taller and 30 pounds heavier than 90% of your average Porteñas, your intrepid reporter strains the outer reaches of one of the major blood sports here in BsAs: designer shoes. Not only do I wear a European 39-40 (US 8-81/2), but I am blessed with patas de pato--what I call "duck feet"-- width C-D. It makes shoe shopping a bit of a challenge.

My 5' 8" frame is freakishly large here (I went into a US-based name-brand store you would have heard of here, and I asked to try something on. The SA asked delicately, "Are you a size...6?" When I said yes, she made a frowny-face, shook her head, and looked sad for me.)

Even worse, you're lucky to find nursing shoes in size 40 here-- now I know what my lovely friends with size 9+ feet experience back at home. I am Yeti-Girl here-- it's a little bruising on the ego.

So imagine my delight when Bazr and I stumbled upon this little artisanal tango specialty shoe shop:
1951 Buenos Aires
And they had all kinds of tango shoes...in all kinds of sizes...
I had dozens of handmade shoes to choose from, all ancho-- wide, which meant I could fit into a 39, which is really a better true fit.
I cannot believe what a cliché these shoes are!! But, ¡Bailmos-- lista!
And if you ever had any doubt that tango is a serious sport here, the shoes come with their own travel bag...
...that makes like it's own little backpack. You can wear your sneaks to the milanga, then slip into your tango heels to dance the night away...

3 comments:

  1. ohhhoooohhhoohh I'm panting. Looks like you were practicing your "ochos" in the shoe shop! Jealous does not BEGIN to reach it for me. If you love me, you will dedicate your next bailar to me, and think of me and send me the bodily sensations over the ether and invoke the "ALL THAT IS" "We are all of the same Stuff" stuff that will get me there with you somehow, dancing tightly smashed against some swarthy Tangoistero or whatever you call the hunky dance teachers. OOOOOOOHHHH GOD I want to come visit!

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  2. I want you to come so bad, ¡Mamí! Oh, my goodness, you would tear this town a new one...
    And I don't want to get anyone in trouble, but there's a blogger here who talks about how, for certain independent solo women, traveling to Argentina is sex tourism. They come down here, fall in love with the tango, devote themselves to it, and then have hot affairs with their tango teachers. Not that I know from personal experience-- I'm just reporting what I hear... ;)

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  3. Very hot shoes, my dear.

    And now I want to go to Argentina, too!

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