High-heeled jazz dancing and character dancing shoe

A dancer's shoe that has the flexibility required for jazz dancing and for standing three-quarters on pointe and the support strength required for character dancing, comprising:

• a front sole support made of cushioning fabric, said front sole support spanning a length and width of an area of a front sole,
• a hard plastic high heel, said high heel being at least approximately two inches in height at all parts of the high heel,
• a shoe body including a flexible shoe upper shaped for receiving the dancer's foot, said shoe upper including a left side that has a an elastic insert in an area of an arch and a right side that has an elastic insert in the area of the arch,
• a continuous layer of leather spanning a length and width of the shoe, said layer including a stiff hard leather front region in an area of the front sole beneath the front sole support, a thin flexible leather middle region just behind the front sole support and a stiff hard leather back region extending over the heel;
• and
• a rigid shank extending from a back of the shoe and entirely covering the heel and further extending forward over the arch in a middle portion of the shoe and terminating before the front sole support, said shank preventing bowing of the shoe;
• the shoe providing strength and support for energetic dancing but still allowing a wearer to flex the shoe and to stand three-quarters pointe during dancing.

A high heel dancer's shoe, combining the support necessary for character dancing with the flexibility required for jazz dancing, comprising:

• a rigid high heel, of at least approximately 2 inches in height;
• a leather outer sole, running the breadth of the shoe from at least a front edge of said high heel forward;
• a hard rubber front sole support of tensile strength of between approximately 5 N/mmq and 9/mmq above a front portion of said outer sole;
• a rigid half shank mounted above the heel and extending forward in a direction of said front sole support, spanning an arch of said dancer's shoe and terminating before the front sole support;
• and
• a flexible shoe upper joined to said outer sole to form a shoe body shaped for receiving a dancer's foot, said shoe upper including a left side that has an elastic insert and a right side that has an elastic insert;
• wherein the outer sole spans a gap between the shank and the fore sole, giving the shoe a flexibility in that region sufficient for executing pointing and flexing, while maintaining the rigid arch support of the half-shank and the cushioning of the rubber front sole.

A high heel dancer's shoe, combining the support necessary for character dancing with the flexibility required for jazz dancing, comprising:

• a rigid high heel, of at least approximately 2 inches in height;
• a leather outer sole, running the breadth of the shoe from at least a front edge of said high heel forward;
• a front sole support made of fabric cushioning that is located above a front portion of said outer sole;
• a rigid half shank mounted above the heel and extending forward in a direction of said front sole support, spanning an arch of said dancer's shoe and terminating before the front sole support;
• and
• a flexible shoe upper joined to said outer sole to form a shoe body shaped for receiving a dancer's foot, said shoe upper including a left side that has an elastic insert and a right side that has an elastic insert;
• wherein the outer sole spans a gap between the shank and the fore sole, giving the shoe a flexibility in that region sufficient for executing pointing and flexing, while maintaining the rigid arch support of the half-shank and the cushioning of the rubber front sole.

A dancer's shoe that has the flexibility required for jazz dancing and for standing three-quarters on pointe and the support strength required for character dancing, comprising:

• a front sole support made of cushioning fabric and spanning a length and width of an area of a front sole,
• a hard plastic high heel, said high heel being at least approximately two inches in height at all parts of the high heel,
• a shoe body including a flexible shoe upper shaped for receiving the dancer's foot, said shoe upper including a left side that has an elastic insert in an area of an arch and a right side that has an elastic insert in the area of the arch,
• a continuous layer of leather spanning a length and width of the shoe, said layer including a stiff hard leather front region in an area of the front sole beneath the front sole support, a thin flexible leather middle region just behind the front sole support and a stiff hard leather back region extending over the heel;
• and
• a rigid shank extending from a back of the shoe and entirely covering the heel and further extending forward over the arch in a middle portion of the shoe and terminating before the front sole support, said shank preventing bowing of the shoe;
• the shoe providing strength and support for energetic dancing but still allowing a wearer to flex the shoe and to stand three-quarters pointe during dancing.