Tap shoes - Covent Garden shops

[TippyTapTappyStomp]

Morning!

I want to upgrade DDs tap shoes, we're looking at Bloch Jason Samuels Smiths or the Capezio equivalents as a starting point. But I'd really like her to try them on, I'm a bit nervous of ordering and returning multiple pairs.

We are just outside of London. Google maps shows a Bloch shop next door to a Capezio shop in Covent Garden - it's been a while since I was down there but I can't picture that Capezio shop in my mind's eye, and street view shows Capezio but not Bloch... Can anyone tell me if both shops are in fact there and currently open before we make a trip?! Or if there are any other shops in London or Northwards which would have a range to try?

Any other tap shoe chat or advice very welcome. We were looking some very cool and colourful Ben and Millers online, but I don't think I can justify that kind of price tag 😳

Bloch is definitely there and currently open. They were fantastic fitting my daughter's first pointe shoes so I'd expect they'd be very helpful on tap shoes too.

Thank you.

We have a great dance shop nearby (they don't stock these taps though) - watching them fit ballet shoes is like magic isn't it, they just know stuff!

If you want to make a day of it, try and combine it with a lesson or a workshop for your DD at Pineapple nearby. Then you can go and browse the shops while she's occupied!

Now that's a good shout, thanks! 😄

Check on the companies' own websites for branch details? That will confirm the address and opening times.

We found the capezio shop much better than the bloch shop - but i have a dancing son with tiny feet (still in child sizes). Bloch was utterly useless for us, but i didn’t look at the girls stuff which is 95% of the shop. They pretty much saw a boy and weren’t interested in helping us at all, not even for ballet or jazz shoes which they must have!
No more Bloch for us after that…..
Older girls tend to wear oxford style shoes as well, not sure what they have!
Capezio were lovely, finding a great fit for his high arch, high instep feet.

Ok, I've woken up properly now and done the sensible thing you advised and yes indeed there is a London shop on Endell Street. Thanks 😄

I'll get her down there at the weekend to look at all options.

Mine are Capezio, teletone taps and they make me sound much better than I am 🤣 what a lovely day, I remember dance shoe shopping as a kid! Is nice to have a wander round the shops and look at all the beautiful leotards that I would look like Mavis the fat fairy in

I'm so pleased they sorted him out. I love to see dancing boys, DD's dance school principal is really supportive of them too and the school has a growing number. I don't know why anyone working in or around dance/theatre etc wouldn't think the same way - clearly you had the bad luck to find a disinterested shop assistant or a staff having a bad day, but that's not good enough really ☹️

The freed shop is also nearby plus another one.

i wanted Oxfords with a heel and it seems no one makes/sells them anymore

Ha, I know, I am quite jealous of her.
She's been wearing Capezio teletones for a while which to my ears sound great, but now it's getting more serious she could do with a heavier more serious shoe, apparently. And she's now not restricted to black for class, which I'm sure has as much to do with it.....

@TippyTapTappyStomp i had thd impression (we didn’t even properly get into the shop before we were sent away) that they (Bloch) focus on point shoe fitting and cutesy little girls outfits, and we obviously didn’t fit either!
Capezio is a tiny shop but looked like they had a ton of stuff to bring out when asked. we bought tap, jazz and ballet shoes, so it definitely was worth the effort for them (and are sticking to capezio for jazz and tap - he prefers Katz for ballet)