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Stephanie Cunningham
May 26, 2025
Awesome tap shoes; expect some break-in time
I was apprehensive about buying my first pair of J Sams because there are break-in horror stories online and I have some toe and foot pain issues. After they arrived, I wore them around the house for a couple of weeks; after every wear, I would stuff the toes with several thick socks. The first couple of classes were a little rough, but I kept stuffing them with socks, concentrating on the most painful toe area. Once the shoes started to loosen a little, I began bending and twisting them after each class while the leather was still damp. I'm about six weeks in at this point and they're starting to get really comfortable.The best part so far about this pair of tap shoes vs the much cheaper Capezios I was wearing is how much louder and clearer the sounds are--it makes a huge difference! The leather and stitching seem to be really good quality and the shoes feel solid and well-made. Very happy with this investment so far and would definitely recommend them to other tappers, as long as you're willing to work through breaking them in.
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Awesome shoes!
These tap shoes are the best! They are very heavy duty and great quality. The sounds on these are beautiful! Very sharp and loud sounds. They do run a bit small. I normally wear a 7.5 to 8 in street shoes and I had to get a few sizes before finding a good fit. I ended up with a size 8.5 in this tap shoes and it fits snug (which I wanted). I can still wear a pair of thin socks with them. The toe area was a bit tight when I first got them but have stretched a little since then and are now comfortable. They come with the rubber soles unattached. I chose not to put them onto my shoes (because I didn’t know how and I didn’t want to pay more money to find someone to do it professionally). There is definitely more sliding without them but I’ve gotten used to it. I do feel like the balls of my feet get a bit more sore after dancing for a while probably because of this. Overall, I love these shoes! I’ve had them for about two years now and I still love them. I’m considering getting them in white too! If you get these shoes, you won’t regret it!
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Sue Eckhoff
June 15, 2025
Fits great
Fit great. Amazing sound. Exactly what we were looking for! Very sturdy for trick moves. Comfortable.
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Great and beautiful shoe
These shoes are amazing! So comfortable right out of the box. I did have to go up to a size 10 to get a proper fit! I normally wear an 8.5 or a 9. The first pair I ordered were 9.5.. just to be safe… but they were just a hair too short and I knew they would be uncomfortable and toes too crowded. I also have a pair of Miller and Ben’s which are great too. I cannot say I like one better over the other except for the price!! I love the white color.
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Amazon Customer
March 29, 2025
Best tap shoes - worth the money!
Would buy again! Best for toe stands and toe turns. Deep sound and fit well. These do not slip off the heel. True to size if you like a snug fit.
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Nicole Cannon
April 28, 2016
The most perfect tap shoes
I was on the hunt to find the perfect pair of tap shoes, and my tap teacher insisted on Bloch's Jason Samuels Smith tap shoes. Although I was a little hesitant at first due to the price, I had been envying hers all year and decided to make the investment and go for it. And holy moly am I glad I did! From the moment I put them on, I knew these were THE pair of tap shoes to own! The inner lining is so soft and supportive, perfect for wicking away sweat and providing comfort, and the body of the shoe is so well constructed and fits my foot like a glove. And the sound! This stacked heel and platform will take a few times to master, but it will be absolutely worth it. The sound is so strong and solid, it's beautiful. I wear a size 7 in street shoes, but I wear a 7.5 in Bloch's SplitFlex Character Heels, so I decided to go with the 7.5s, which turned out to be the perfect fit (I also prefer my dance shoes on the smaller side). If you are thinking about going into the professional theatre/dance world, these shoes are a must have!
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PACKAGING REVIEW
The shoes in themselves are great. We own many J Sam’s & they’re always the best quality. BUT we ordered white and they were wrapped in dark teal tissue paper. This caused many green marks all over the white shoe. I managed to get them out on the leather gently with rubbing alcohol, but the two spots that were on the material and stitching will NOT come out. Shoes for this price and quality should not come like this. Very disappointed and confused as to why on earth they would be wrapped in a colored tissue paper like that.
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