Hacking Your Tango Shoes!
Read the full background about my shoe hacking journey below or click here to go directly to the instructions for hacking your own shoes.
If you only want to access the links to foam, shoe stretchers, etc., click here to go to the links section.
If you only want to access the links to foam, shoe stretchers, etc., click here to go to the links section.
Caveats and disclaimers
I am not a doctor or a podiatrist. I'm just a tango dancer who wanted to wear my tango heels and had an injury so I invented this method. Use it at your own risk. I recommend starting slow and adding padding only as much as you need. When you are trying out new foam in your shoes, it's best to experiment at home first, then do one dance with a partner. These solutions have only been tested for a short time. In particular, the edits to the front of heels might not work well over time. I will continue to update as my experimenting continues.
If you have injuries to your feet that are making you want to try these solutions - make sure to also pursue all other fixes to get rid of the injury. When you feel the comfort of foam in your tango shoes, it can be tempting to stop working on getting over the injury because you don't feel it anymore, but it is very important to do exercises, foot injury prevention and treatment, simultaneously with methods like this foam.
If you have injuries to your feet that are making you want to try these solutions - make sure to also pursue all other fixes to get rid of the injury. When you feel the comfort of foam in your tango shoes, it can be tempting to stop working on getting over the injury because you don't feel it anymore, but it is very important to do exercises, foot injury prevention and treatment, simultaneously with methods like this foam.
The full background of the shoe hacking
In August of 2020 I had an injury while dancing that ended up causing 5 different things to go wrong with my feet. I had Morton's neuroma, bursitis, capsulitis, partial plantar plate tears in my big toes, and ended up with arthritis in the big toes as well.
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I tried dancing in very short heels but still had so much pain that I couldn't walk or even stand sometimes. I switched to tai chi shoes. I realized that even the curvature from the sole of the shoe to the side of the shoe can compress the foot and cause severe nerve pain. I needed a completely flat surface. I could still dance, but only in tai chi slippers with my heels down at all times. It was hard to teach women in class with heels because I couldn't demonstrate.
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I went to two of the top podiatrists for dance injuries in Manhattan. They did tests, gave me the diagnoses, and told me a few things. They told me I could never wear heels again, that these were chronic, degenerative conditions, and that I had to wear big fluffy shoes that are really ugly.
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They didn't say it that way but this is what I thought when I saw the big fluffy shoes. The "big fluffy shoes" were Hoka sneakers which are often prescribed by podiatrists. They have a very thick sole - 3/4" thick. They had a sheet of big puffy shoes that I could choose from, but all of them were big and puffy.
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I walked in the big puffy shoes for a couple of weeks and my feet started to feel so great. I was even able to go up on the balls of my feet without any pain at all in those fluffy shoes. I started dreaming about these ugly puffy shoes being magically turned into beautiful fluffy tango shoes. Why not? Couldn't I just take the sole of this and stick it on a tango shoe? Hence my journey into the World of Foam....
The first step in my World of Foam journey was to take apart a pair of Hoka sneakers. However, they are expensive and I needed to wear mine so I found the cheapest pair I could on Ebay so I could do my experiment. While I was waiting for them to arrive, I started doing research online. I found the product specifications for my Hoka shoes and it said that they are made out of "Full-length compression-molded EVA midsole". I then googled "EVA" and found that it is a type of foam that is used in a gazillion things like yoga blocks, gym mats, all the other comfy shoes and sneakers.
The first step in my World of Foam journey was to take apart a pair of Hoka sneakers. However, they are expensive and I needed to wear mine so I found the cheapest pair I could on Ebay so I could do my experiment. While I was waiting for them to arrive, I started doing research online. I found the product specifications for my Hoka shoes and it said that they are made out of "Full-length compression-molded EVA midsole". I then googled "EVA" and found that it is a type of foam that is used in a gazillion things like yoga blocks, gym mats, all the other comfy shoes and sneakers.
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I had extra pieces of gym mat which I use to cushion my mini trampoline and it was 3/8" thick. I immediately cut some and put them into a very old pair of tango shoes that were very stretched out. It felt amazing. It felt like walking on a comforter, but the shoes were still too tight with the padding added.
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I decided to experience the ultimate comfort so I cut out a larger insole piece of gym mat and put it into my tai chi slippers, then danced on them for 4 hours at a milonga. It felt incredible! In the beginning it was a bit strange and fluffy feeling, a bit difficult to feel the floor, but as the night went on it became easier.
Afterwards I took the pads out and looked at them. I saw that they had compressed down quite a lot, and had molded to my foot, which is why it became easier to dance with them as the night went on. |
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I decided to do 2 things next - stretch my old tango shoes with high heeled shoe stretchers and try to compress the gym mat with weight to see if I could compress it ahead of time. I remembered what I'd read on the Hoka site, that the shoes were made of compressed EVA foam. Now it made sense, that companies would compress the foam before making the shoe.
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In the meantime, my used Hoka shoes came in the mail! I cut one of them open and sure enough, it's just a big hunk of compressed EVA foam, with another softer foam insole on top. The ball of the foot is 3/4" thick and the heel is 1 1/2" thick.
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At the same time as doing my experiments, I was doing a lot of research. I read all about every different kind of foam. I realized that the Foot Petals padding I used to put in the ball of the foot of my tango shoes are made out of PORON foam. PORON is open cell foam and is used as padding in a lot of shoes including Gaynor Minden pointe shoes. PORON is known to be extremely good at absorbing shock. It reduces and redirects shock forces away from the foot. However, my physical therapist at the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries in Manhattan told me that the tests they've done on these insoles and pads show that they basically crush down right away and don't provide the padding needed, especially for injuries like the inflammation and nerve issues I have.
I saw in the used Hoka shoes that I cut open that they had an insole that looks like open cell foam on top of dense compressed EVA foam, so I started searching for sources for these types of foams, as well as others. I wanted to try both very thick 3/4" foam and also thinner 1/4" foam that I could layer with different types.
My first foam delivery was 3/4" thick EVA foam. It was very fluffy and squishy. I cut out a piece and put it into an old pair of tango shoes and trimmed it to fill the arch all the way to the heel. These were obviously going to be way too thick so I had an idea that I could cut the front of the shoe, then put holes in each side and thread strong elastic lace through them, then tie it. This way I could adjust it as needed and it would also be elastic so it would be more comfortable.
I saw in the used Hoka shoes that I cut open that they had an insole that looks like open cell foam on top of dense compressed EVA foam, so I started searching for sources for these types of foams, as well as others. I wanted to try both very thick 3/4" foam and also thinner 1/4" foam that I could layer with different types.
My first foam delivery was 3/4" thick EVA foam. It was very fluffy and squishy. I cut out a piece and put it into an old pair of tango shoes and trimmed it to fill the arch all the way to the heel. These were obviously going to be way too thick so I had an idea that I could cut the front of the shoe, then put holes in each side and thread strong elastic lace through them, then tie it. This way I could adjust it as needed and it would also be elastic so it would be more comfortable.
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I did all of these things and tried them on. They were so comfortable! They felt almost like Hoka sneakers but they were too squishy, too fluffy. It was quite hard to keep my balance. I tried dancing a song in them with my partner Tioma and it was possible, but it was really too soft for dancing.
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So I kept hunting - researching the various grades of EVA foam, and thicknesses. I also ordered some different types of open cell foam that was highly recommended for the superior ability to absorb shock, When I received those open cell foam samples, I did the same tests on them that I'd seen in videos online - dropping a heavy metal ball onto them and seeing if it absorbed the shock. It was quite incredible, the highest quality one really did absorb all the shock and the ball barely bounced. However, if you pressed your fingernails together with the foam in between, the foam seems to disappear and your fingernails touch. I was beginning to see what the Harkness Center physical therapist was talking about - it might have great shock absorption but it didn't give great padding. It seemed like a combination of these things would perhaps be ideal, but the base had to be EVA foam. However, I wanted a more dense EVA foam without having to compress it myself, so I continued researching.
After comparing all the different grades and types of closed cell foam, reading lots of reviews from people, I decided to try something from a company called Foam Factory which is called "Cross Linked Polyethylene" closed cell foam in 1/4" thickness. This foam is advertised as being "thicker, more durable foam...extremely fine-celled foam with a smooth, pleasant feel combined with superior physical and chemical properties for an overall quality and performance that is unmatched...the higher density also means extra durability and protection against wear and tear" It is used in "orthopedic and prosthetic padding" is "resilient with excellent strength and shock absorption, low water absorption, impervious to mildew, mold, rot, and bacteria, nontoxic and contains no CFCs, HCFCs, or hydrocarbon blowing agents". Wow, this sounded great!
I also ordered a foam from them called "Minicel T200" which also had very high ratings and reviews with many of the same features as the other one, but it sounded like it would be softer.
After comparing all the different grades and types of closed cell foam, reading lots of reviews from people, I decided to try something from a company called Foam Factory which is called "Cross Linked Polyethylene" closed cell foam in 1/4" thickness. This foam is advertised as being "thicker, more durable foam...extremely fine-celled foam with a smooth, pleasant feel combined with superior physical and chemical properties for an overall quality and performance that is unmatched...the higher density also means extra durability and protection against wear and tear" It is used in "orthopedic and prosthetic padding" is "resilient with excellent strength and shock absorption, low water absorption, impervious to mildew, mold, rot, and bacteria, nontoxic and contains no CFCs, HCFCs, or hydrocarbon blowing agents". Wow, this sounded great!
I also ordered a foam from them called "Minicel T200" which also had very high ratings and reviews with many of the same features as the other one, but it sounded like it would be softer.
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When I received the new foam, cut it out and put it into my shoes, it was perfect! Soft layer on top, very dense thick yet slightly cushioning layer underneath. I cut the front part open on an old pair of 4" stilettos and put the foam in. It was amazing, even in 4" stilettos it was comfortable yet also supportive.
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Cutting the front part of the shoe enables my toes to spread as they need to and the denseness of the foam gives a nice firm supportive yet cushioned floor for the ball of my foot and toes which is extremely important.
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Directions for how to hack your own tango shoes!
Ingredients for adding foam to your shoes: Foam, thick paper to make a template, good scissors, metallic markers, double stick tape.
Ingredients for enlarging the front of high heeled tango shoes: Same as above plus strong elastic of some kind (can be decorative, like lace), piece of scrap wood for hammering nails into, one large nail, hammer, pliers, paintbrush, India ink.
Ingredients for enlarging the front of high heeled tango shoes: Same as above plus strong elastic of some kind (can be decorative, like lace), piece of scrap wood for hammering nails into, one large nail, hammer, pliers, paintbrush, India ink.
If you will want to make insoles (half or whole) more than once in the future, the best thing to do is to first make a template that you can reuse. You only need one template for both feet and for half vs full insoles because you can reverse the template for both feet.
You need to use good sharp scissors to cut the foam so that you have a nice clean cut. They don’t have to be fancy but they need to be sharp. I recommend buying an inexpensive new pair of scissors and only use them for cutting foam so that they don’t get dulled by cutting other things. You can make your own little shoe hacking kit and keep your dedicated foam scissors in there.
You need to use good sharp scissors to cut the foam so that you have a nice clean cut. They don’t have to be fancy but they need to be sharp. I recommend buying an inexpensive new pair of scissors and only use them for cutting foam so that they don’t get dulled by cutting other things. You can make your own little shoe hacking kit and keep your dedicated foam scissors in there.
First, trace your foot onto thick paper or card stock. You want the paper to be thick enough to last longer than one use but thin enough so that you can bend it into the shoe to make sure the fit is correct. If one foot is bigger than the other, trace the larger foot.
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Next cut the tracing out. |
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Now you should put the template into your tango shoe. At first it will be too big and will not fit - don't worry! Just squish it in there and then you will be able to see where it needs to be reduced. |
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Next flip your tango shoe over, hold the template against the shoe and trace the edge of the tango shoe on the template. You won't be able to trace where the shoe is in the way but you can fill that part in after you take it out. Also observe the shoe and template from the top to see where you might want to cut more off. |
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Remove the template and look at the marks you made, then connect the lines where they are missing. Below you can see on the left where I traced but wasn't able to trace where the shoe interfered, and the photo on the right shows how I completed the lines.
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Now put your template back into your shoe and see if there are still parts that aren't quite fitting. It's best to do this part well so that you will always have a good, easy template to make insoles, so take your time and get it right. You might even realize that you need to start over because you cut too much off, but it would be worth the time to do that in order to have a good template. |
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Once you are totally happy with the template, you can place it on your foam, trace it, and carefully cut it out. This is assuming that you bought your foam already! Click here to go to the links section if you still need to buy your foam and shoe stretchers.
Depending on the amount of foam you use and the thickness, you might need to stretch your shoes or even to cut the front of them and add elastic. If you decide to stretch them, you can buy a shoe stretcher from the links, use a stretching aid like alcohol or vodka or the stretching spray that FootFitter sells, and set the stretcher to be at the maximum amount that it can open, then leave it for at least 24 hours. You might need to do this more than once depending on how strong your shoes are. Be careful with shoes that are entirely suede - they stretch much more and much easier so you should do it a little less at a time. Good quality leather shoes might take 3 or 4 attempts.
It's very important to not squeeze your feet too much but of course also important to have your shoes fit snugly. To top it off, feet can swell quite a lot or can also un-swell, making it difficult to have your shoes fit well all the time! This is why I have really been enjoying the solution of cutting the front of the shoe and adding elastic, especially if you tie it so that you can always re-adjust the length. I recommend using an old pair of shoes at first so you can experiment. Or you could even buy an inexpensive pair of used shoes to experiment on. I know that all of this sounds like a lot to do, but once you figure out which methods you like, you will be set for life, so put on some good music, take your time, and enjoy making your feet really happy!
Depending on the amount of foam you use and the thickness, you might need to stretch your shoes or even to cut the front of them and add elastic. If you decide to stretch them, you can buy a shoe stretcher from the links, use a stretching aid like alcohol or vodka or the stretching spray that FootFitter sells, and set the stretcher to be at the maximum amount that it can open, then leave it for at least 24 hours. You might need to do this more than once depending on how strong your shoes are. Be careful with shoes that are entirely suede - they stretch much more and much easier so you should do it a little less at a time. Good quality leather shoes might take 3 or 4 attempts.
It's very important to not squeeze your feet too much but of course also important to have your shoes fit snugly. To top it off, feet can swell quite a lot or can also un-swell, making it difficult to have your shoes fit well all the time! This is why I have really been enjoying the solution of cutting the front of the shoe and adding elastic, especially if you tie it so that you can always re-adjust the length. I recommend using an old pair of shoes at first so you can experiment. Or you could even buy an inexpensive pair of used shoes to experiment on. I know that all of this sounds like a lot to do, but once you figure out which methods you like, you will be set for life, so put on some good music, take your time, and enjoy making your feet really happy!
When you trace your template onto black foam, you will need to use something that can make a mark on black. Also the good foam for shoes is often not available in a color that would match your shoes, so you might want to use a metallic pen to color the foam. I love to use Pilot silver and gold markers because they're always useful for drawing on darker papers and also they are really fun (for making shiny Christmas cards as an example!). I've also used white charcoal, silver Prismacolor pencils, or you could even use a light colored crayon, but markers are easier and make a better mark. Sharpie makes metallic markers in gold, silver, and bronze that work very well on foam as well. Here, I did a test to show you a few:
Here are pictures of me tracing a ball-of-the-foot cushion from my template onto the foam. I trace one, then flip the template over and trace the other. Once I figured out where I like to have my half-sole, I marked it on my template so that I always have it there.
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Here are both pieces of foam cut out and waiting to be put into the shoes: |
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If you want to have both layers of foam in your heels and stretching your heels didn't work enough to feel comfortable, here is my method for cutting the front of your shoes and adding elastic. First, choose a spot right in the center of the shoe and cut the front of the shoe. Try to make it the same place on both shoes and try to make it in the center. In this photo you can see how I cut the front of my shoe with regular scissors.
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Next you will need to put a hole or 2 holes into each half of the cut parts in order to insert elastic into those holes. You can think of it as if you are sewing, but in order to "sew" with leather it's easier to punch a hole.
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For shoes like the ones above, I used only one hole. For another pair of shoes that had a wider front, I used 2 holes and threaded the elastic through both on each side. |
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Here is a video tutorial showing how I punch the whole through the shoe fronts, thread the elastic through, and attach the foam pieces to each other and to the shoe:
Finally, last but not least, a couple of pairs of finished shoes! You can either tuck in the pieces of elastic or lace or you can tie them in a bow but you should not cut them off entirely because you might need it at a later point.
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Links
Cross Linked Polyethylene closed cell foam (harder, lower layer): https://www.foambymail.com/XPE6/cross-linked-polyethylene-foam-6lb.html
Minicel T200 foam (softer upper layer): https://www.foambymail.com/MT200/minicel-t200.html
FootFitter shoe stretchers (for every kind of shoe, including high heels): https://footfitter.com/collections/high-heel-stretchers
When you stretch the shoes, you can soak them with rubbing alcohol or vodka to help the stretching, or you can buy special stretching spray from FootFitter. However, I think that stretching spray is just alcohol and water ;)
Pilot silver and gold metallic permanent markers: https://www.artsuppliesonline.com/catalog.cfm?cata_id=1958
Sharpie silver and gold metallic permanent markers:
https://www.sharpie.com/markers/permanent-markers/sharpie-metallic-permanent-markers-fine-point/SAP_1823813.html
Sakura Pen Touch silver and gold metallic permanent markers: https://www.sakuraofamerica.com/product/pen-touch/
India ink: https://www.jerrysartarama.com/speedball-super-black-india-ink
Foot Petals padding (made of PORON, possible to add these on top of denser foam): https://footpetals.com/collections/ball-of-foot-cushions/products/ball-of-foot-cushions
Minicel T200 foam (softer upper layer): https://www.foambymail.com/MT200/minicel-t200.html
FootFitter shoe stretchers (for every kind of shoe, including high heels): https://footfitter.com/collections/high-heel-stretchers
When you stretch the shoes, you can soak them with rubbing alcohol or vodka to help the stretching, or you can buy special stretching spray from FootFitter. However, I think that stretching spray is just alcohol and water ;)
Pilot silver and gold metallic permanent markers: https://www.artsuppliesonline.com/catalog.cfm?cata_id=1958
Sharpie silver and gold metallic permanent markers:
https://www.sharpie.com/markers/permanent-markers/sharpie-metallic-permanent-markers-fine-point/SAP_1823813.html
Sakura Pen Touch silver and gold metallic permanent markers: https://www.sakuraofamerica.com/product/pen-touch/
India ink: https://www.jerrysartarama.com/speedball-super-black-india-ink
Foot Petals padding (made of PORON, possible to add these on top of denser foam): https://footpetals.com/collections/ball-of-foot-cushions/products/ball-of-foot-cushions
