We do rent our costumes, in store only.

We are located in Nutley, NJ. Please visit our "Visit Us" page for more information.

Yes! For shoes, please visit our "Build Your Dream Shoe" section. For dresses, please contact us at contact@shallwedancedesigns.com or 973-542-8433

All regular price dancewear can be returned for a refund or exchange within 10 days of purchase with receipt and tag still attached. All regular price shoes can be returned for a refund or exchange within 30 days of purchase with receipt. All sale/clearance items are Final Sale. All rentals are Final Sale. Once a costume has been reserved and paid for, we cannot accept any exchange or issue any refund.

For Latin dancing, an open toe shoe is recommended. You can also use a lace-up practice shoe.

Yes our shoes run true to size. We recommend ordering your regular street shoe size.

All dance shoes generally need to fit tighter than regular street shoes. This is to minimize the risk of injury and compensate for any stretching that occurs in the shoe. After a shoe is danced on a few times, it will begin to shape to a dancers foot and stretch, making the shoes more comfortable over time. There should also not be any gap between the back of the shoe and your heel. Latin shoes (open-toe) require a more specific fit. Your toes should come as far to the very end of the sole as possible, showing as little of it as possible when your toes are pointed.

The ‘International Standard’ and ‘American Smooth’ are not indicative of any specific dance form. In fact, they represent the collection of ballroom dances included in the ‘International Style’ and the ‘American Style’ of dancing; the International Style, being the set of dances that get judged in global ballroom dance competitions. These two groups roughly correspond to each other in terms of their content, one being specific to the American context and the other to a Global context. The ballroom dances included in these collections are Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, FoxTrot and Quickstep with some subtle variations. The International Standard includes: -Waltz, -Viennese Waltz -Slowfox -Tango -Quickstep Ballroom dances of this category are taught and learnt in a standard way, in the sense that, the steps and terminology used are the same anywhere in the world. Hence these dances are ideal for International competitions, where the participants have a standardized platform for exhibiting their talent. In the Standard form of dances, the partners dance in a closed position, where both body-contact and co-ordination of movement are to be maintained. It is a more exacting form of dancing, since perfecting the position and movement comes only with time and lots of practice. The American Smooth comprises: -Waltz, -Viennese Waltz, -FoxTrot -Tango The dance movements have a characteristic ‘American’ influence, with flowing movements. The partners need not necessarily dance in a closed position as in the ‘Standard’ form; they could just twirl off independently and then get back into position. Timing is the key. The twirl and the lock have to be executed flawlessly. *Apart from the music, the costume or outfit befitting the dance form is of utmost importance, especially for competition purposes. Outfits for the ‘Standard’ form concentrate more on the ornamentation on the back and the sleeves of the dress, since the form requires a closed dance position. *The outfits for the ‘Smooth’ form have to do due justice to the full attire, both the front and the back. The dress has to be elegant and flowing, probably with no frills obstructing the graceful twirls.

For Standard/International, the shoes are typically closed all the way around, see above picture. This type of shoe is also acceptable for Smooth/American. For Smooth/American, the shoes typically have a closed toe but are open on the sides, see picture below.