How are high-quality dance shoes made?

If you have ever tried on and tried out dance shoes, you will know from your own experience that dance shoes are no ordinary shoes. They give the foot a secure hold under dynamic loads, support the dance movements on the smooth floor with their special sole and dampen vibrations that occur during jumps or quick changes of step, for example. In addition to the design and appearance of the shoe, these are all decisive criteria that should be considered when choosing dance shoes.

If you have ever tried on or tried out dance shoes from different manufacturers, you will certainly have noticed that there are differences not only in design, but also in terms of comfort and the general feel. Werner Kern dance shoes are no ordinary dance shoes, but combine our decades of experience in design with the traditional craft of shoemaking. Our dance shoes for men and women are made in Italy - the cradle of the high art of shoemaking. We work with family businesses, many of which have been rooted in the shoemaking trade for several generations.

The shoemaker's best tool: their hands

Our dance shoes are made to follow the movements of your feet in the best possible way. That's why there are dance shoes for different dance styles - and Werner Kern also offers different fits. The lasts on which our shoe models for men and women are made have been tested over many years and decades by thousands of dancers all over the world in hard practical use and have been continuously developed by us based on their feedback. Today, our fits stand for a particularly comfortable dance experience: the dance shoes feel particularly light on the foot and allow you to literally float on the dance floor.

When we develop a new model, we first select the fit and materials. We make our dance shoes exclusively from goatskin, which is one of the most valuable types of leather and is only used for particularly high-quality shoes and accessories. In addition to its special softness, goatskin is characterised by its high breathability, which ensures a high level of comfort even after long periods of wear and heavy use. Goatskin is also very supple and therefore opens up a wide range of design options.

A pair of dance shoes for women consists of more than a dozen individual parts, which we source in Italy, where the shoes are also made. We also obtain heels, soles, straps and other decorative elements from family-run businesses in Italy, which ensures short transport routes and is an important support for the regional economy.

The processing of the individual elements requires a lot of manual labour for each shoe. Although various machines support our shoemakers in their work, experience, a trained eye and skilful hands are always required at the crucial points of production. This is the only way to perfectly combine the materials and create a shoe that meets the high demands of Werner Kern and our customers from a large number of individual parts after numerous work steps.

The sole, midsole, upper and heel are assembled and fixed to the last or fit in a coordinated manner. Additional decorative elements such as straps or buckles may then be added before the shoe undergoes strict quality control and is only then delivered to our retailers in Germany and worldwide. This is how we ensure that you can feel the difference that characterises our dance shoes with every single Werner Kern shoe.

Highest quality is standard for us

We only use materials and raw materials that have been specially selected and tested by us. All materials used naturally fulfil or exceed the applicable environmental and health protection standards. Our shoes are made from purely natural products, so slight variations and differences in the grain pattern are unavoidable. Leather is a natural raw material that does not always look exactly the same, and shoes made from it are therefore always unique.

The leather is tanned in selected Italian tanneries that fulfil strict animal welfare requirements. We are convinced that animal welfare and high-quality leather shoes do not have to be mutually exclusive and have been happy to contribute to this for more than five decades.

You can quickly and easily find a local retailer for Werner Kern dance shoes in our store finder. There you can also experience for yourself what makes our dance shoes so special that many professional dancers from all over the world only dance with our shoes. Experience the difference - or discover dancing as a new hobby. You just feel the difference!