Our Argentine Tango shoes on Strictly Come Dancing

As seen on… BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing

Did you watch the Argentine Tango from week five? Beautiful AJ Odudu wore our style Jamas Retornaras in her Argentine Tango performance with Kai Widdrington on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.

If you are not familiar with the TV show, Strictly Come Dancing (also known as Strictly) is a British television dance contest. The participants are celebrities that partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly ballroom and Latin dance. Each couple is scored by a panel of judges. The title of the show is a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom.

Finding the right fit of Argentine Tango shoes

We had the pleasure to personally meet and fit AJ specially for her tango show. Getting the phone call from the BBC’s official Argentine tango choreographers, Maria Tsiatsiani and Leandro Palou, was so exciting. «We need tango shoes for a contestant, could you come in tomorrow?» that was the beginning of everything. The next morning we were at the rehearsal studios with a suitcase full of shoes. Finding the right shoe is so important, particularly if you are learning and need the shoe to help you with the moves. AJ tried on different styles and we concluded that Jamas Retornaras was the most appropriate shoe for her.

The day of the show!

And then the day of the show came. We were so extremely proud to see AJ wearing our shoes and her performance was so strong. AJ and Kai were so powerful and elegant. The choreography by Maria and Leandro from London Tango Academy was full of traditional Argentine Tango elements and it was a pleasure to watch. AJ and Kai’s “caminata” (tango walk) looked smooth and flawless. Other details in the choreography might have gone unnoticed to the untrained eye. For example, the little “rulito” (embellishment) with her foot in one of the first pivots was a difficult move to execute and she did it timely and seamlessly. The quick pivots in americana, the voleos and flicks, all looked effortless. We can only congratulate AJ and Kai on a beautiful performance that the judges also recognised with very high scores.

What is the difference between tango shoes and Latin shoes?

It is so important to wear the right shoes for dancing Argentine Tango. Tango is not the same as other Latin dances. In tango there are more still moments and you use your feet and legs to «push against the floor» to create momentum so your feet need to be more supported. Still, the flexibility and comfort should not me compromised.