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Category: Sports Wear [Edit]
Neighborhood: SOMAMon-Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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I recently began salsa dancing, and after suffering through several classes wearing un-supportive flats decided to invest in some proper footwear. After reading reviews, I was nervous about having to deal with snobby prima ballerina employees and customers here. So I followed fellow yelpers advice, and went on a weekday during an "off-hour," around 3 pm, and crossed my fingers that I wouldn't get trampled beneath girls swirling around in their pointe shoes.
There were a few customers milling around, but the store was mostly empty. I was offered help as soon as I walked in the door, and was shown their supply of latin shoes. I told her I was on a law-student budget and to please steer me towards the cheaper shoes. She offered me a basic low-heeled practice shoe, and also a black mesh one. She then left me to help some other people.
I ended up finding the sale shoes on my own, and a few of them caught my eye. I helped myself to a couple pairs, and another employee offered her opinion when she passed. In the end, a third employee came and sat down to really take the time to help me pick between two sizes of the shoe I chose. She was really sweet and helpful. I asked her if she was a ballet dancer, and she indicated that the other two girls were, but she wasn't (she does basically every other style, it seemed like).
Anyhow, I walked out with a pair of silver salsa shoes that I really like. They're comfortable and really cute, and I can't wait to go dancing in them this weekend! They weren't cheap, but because they were on sale they ended up being less than what they cost online (they were on sale for $79 pre-tax, and I found them for $85 at online discount stores pre-shipping costs), so I am happy.
Bottom line: pretty expensive, but good service on a weekday afternoon, convenient location near public transportation, and a good selection to boot. I will go back the next time I need dance gear, and hopefully will have another good experience!
I stop in here once in a while when I'm in the neighborhood, mostly to see what they have on sale that I may be able to wear for yoga.
They have a decent selection of ballroom dancing shoes if you need some in a pinch--I got a pretty basic pair of Tango shoes here for a good price when I realized my old ones were too stretched out and wobbly...and got a really cool pair of pants (not on sale) for yoga.
I don't find the service snooty, but not over the top helpful either.
This place is ok when you're in a pinch and need something ASAP and can't wait to order from a catalog. Unfortunately prices are expensive and their selection isn't fantastic (but what dance store really does have a fantastic selection?).
I'm a little disappointed by the customer service I received on Saturday. Walked in with my boyfriend. Sales girl approached us and asked me if I needed help with anything. I pointed to the boy and said, "Yes. He needs a dance belt." The salesgirl literally stuttered, took a step back from us, and said, "I can't help you with that!" She did reluctantly lead us to the back of the store, but stopped 10 feet short of the men's section and then ran off. It was totally bizarre! She acted like I had uttered the most obscene, pornographic words when I said "dance belt". It's not like I asked her to fit him for one! I just didn't know where they were located in the shop. Thank goodness I went in with him. I'm afraid if he had asked her about the dance belts, she may have pepper sprayed him. Weird, but as I said before, when you need something in a pinch SF Dancewear is pretty much your go to spot in the city.
Had to stop by here really quick because I needed two pairs of ballroom dance shoes for the job I had at the time. I hated that I had to park about two blocks away but what choice did I have if I had to hop in my car and jet over to Hayward for a meeting. Also was disappointed that the shoes I had researched and planned on buying weren't there, so I had to settle for others that were a bit more expensive. But what dance shoes aren't expensive so, (shrug)?
One of the girls there was good at helping me figure out what to get in a short amount of time. I wish they'd change their location, but overall they're ok.
This is the SF go-to spot for dance gear. The staff is friendly and helpful. The shoe and apparel selection provide plenty of great options but are a little on the pricey side.
If you're a ballroom or salsa dancer its much more economical to buy online but when in a pinch and you need something immediately, this place most likely has whatever you're looking for.
OK - I could not believe my experience here.
Background: I had been wanting to buy salsa shoes for a while, but could not quite justify the purchase or find the time, until the frequency of club visits and a friend I trust finally convinced me to try. So I come into this shop a tad intimidated - you know, it looks all pro, rich teenage ballerinas trying pointe-shoes and real dancers whizzing by...AND I was stressed out and cranky as I hate shopping and was there at lunch time.
But then I miraculously find the most helpful salespeople on the planet. They literally made me take my time, suggested shoes on sale, ordered a size from their East Bay shop and were not at all upset when I ended up buying the smaller size from their shop anyway...Truly unbelievable customer service.
I should add that I never wear strappy sandals and that dishing out $130 for something that...girly...was terrifying. BUT it was the perfect pair and I am so so happy and I am dancing so much better.
I bought my Bloch Studio Adult Tap Shoes Size 9 . Get Back Jack! Excellent Prices Selection Staff Variety Selection Location Location Location.
This Summer 2008, I have been channeling Tap Dance Greats. I am getting ready for my 1st Tap Dance class. I cannot wait.
I am costuming myself from the American History Era in Broadway plays such as: "Dames at Sea" http://en.wikipedia.or...
"We'll Sail the Ocean With Our Devotion..." I was part of a San Francisco Sunset A.P. Gianni Production in Summerstock Summer 1979? 1980?
S.F. Dancewear Saved My Life and My Art!
Established in 1975 San Francisco Dancewear has built its reputation on maintaining competent staff in convenient locations and offering an extensive inventory of the highest quality dancewear and dance shoes.
Their goal is to provide customers the best service possible by giving the correct advice on fit, fabric, and style. They do a great deal of special ordering for items not in stock and utilize the resources of our many suppliers to fulfill the needs of productions and groups.
The website has an excellent design and is resourceful.
SFDANCEWEAR.COM
I have designs on a few outfits "wink wink" also. Tea for Two and Two for Tea.
The store is large and has lots of stuff. It can be a little overwhelming. I came in looking for tights and looked around for a while before a girl helped me. She seemed really annoyed to help me. Didnt really make eye contact or smile and although I am grateful that she helped me find what I needed, she was not affable and I left feeling sort of negative. I would come back here and hopefully next time someone with a little more positive demeanor will be on hand.
Oh thank GOD I passed this place today!
I don't know about you all, but no Monday, or any day really, is complete without neon yellow and black striped spandex pants, am I right? I mean, what if I had had a date tonight and I needed something spiffy to wear, what the hell would I have done had I not seen these spandex stretchy wonders of the wearable world.
Well, clearly I would have been living less of a life, but now, now that I know where to find these things if need be, I can go about my St. Patty's Day afternoon in a much more reassured and relieved state :)
All smartassery aside, this store is great for dance needs. They have normal stuff too and a great selection of dance and ballet slippers and yes, plenty of spandex to make you feel like you are in an Olivia Newton John video or in a scene from Staying Alive, "Everybody uses everybody...don't they!!"
Yeah, i think someone put something in my Guinness at lunch today. What?
Their selection is great and I've found the salespeople to be really helpful.
I was able to score two leotards on sale for about half of what I would've normally paid. Tights, skirts, legwarmers, pants, shoes, etc...it's all here.
I'm no Martha Graham. I'm no Cyd Charisse. I'm not a dancer at all.
But I had a childhood dream...
First, there was American Bandstand. A bunch of white folks dancing and hoppin' like crazy fools...how can that NOT be entertaining? With Dick Clark, America's oldest teenager, hosting the show...and Barry Manilow singing "Bandstand Boogie." I was entertained for a moment in time. Yet, it was still too white bread for me.
Then, there was Soooouullll Train. Don Cornelius with his deep, sultry voice. Jody Watley shaking her groove thing (or thang...I should say). And the Soul Train line! THE SOUL TRAIN LINE! Now THAT is what dreams are made of! I would fantasize about struttin' my stuff down that line while conjuring up the newest hippest dance moves to some James Brown or Michael Jackson. Ahhhhh, yeah. Those were the days.
THEN, there was Solid Gold. What can I say about Solid Gold? Eight of the most glorious years of American syndicated television history! Marilyn McCoo was my idol. And the Solid Gold Dancers! THE SOLID GOLD DANCERS! I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A SOLID GOLD DANCER! Okay, there I said it. Don't hold it against me. See, I'm not well. Really. But REALLY...what's not to love? Flesh-colored tights. Colorful leg warmers. Big hair with tons of hairspray. Five layers of various unnatural colors of makeup that have been outlawed in some southern states. Shimmery gold and silver metallic leotard outfits. Yeah, baby!
So I waited a half-hour on a cold Saturday morning for San Francisco Dancewear to open their doors and let me in. I went in search of...
A) Leg warmers
B) A poodle skirt
C) A shimmery gold and silver metallic leotard
D) All of the above
Answer: C) A shimmery gold and silver metallic leotard
Just kidding. The correct answer is boy shorts. I've been searching for boy shorts for months! Not the skimpy panty kind that reveals things that you're not supposed to reveal in public, but ones that keep my ass from showing when I'm wearing a skirt or dress.
So you always wanted to know what women wear underneath their skirts and dresses?
A) Boy shorts
B) Thongs
C) Nothing at all
Well, you know my answer.
So I FINALLY found boy shorts here after months of searching for just the right kind. Of course, my booty didn't fit into a small...or a medium...but a freakin' large! A LARGE! Damn, that kind of bruised my size 6 ego a little. But I'm not bitter. No, No. I know their clothes were made for dancers...skinny ones with no booties.
When my ego heals, I'll definitely be back the next time I need more boy shorts or workout clothes...or if I just need to dream a little Soul Train or Solid Gold dream.
After spending yet another ballet class with horrific runs in my tights and finding balls of my shredding ballet shoes in between my toes, I decided it was time to go buy some new stuff.
SF Dancewear is a short walk from my work and it has a good stock of shoes, leotards, tights, legwarmers, etc. The girl who helped me was really really helpful. She picked out some great shoes for me to try on and made sure I found ones that were good for narrow feet. In fact, everyone was really helpful even though a lot of dancers have crazy attitudes and are usually fairly stuck up (it's true!).
So I walked away with some great Grishko canvas slippers and some tights that have no holes in them.
Of course, when I checked out the prices of them on http://discountdance.com, I had over-spent by about $20. Hmph.
Can I just say I love this store! First of all the girls who work here are so sweet and attentive. The prices aren't bad and I found really cute stuff for my freezing ballet class.
My only word of caution, go on a weekday morning. In the evening and on weekends the place is full of a bunch of dance drama queens that are about 4 feet tall and they'll knock you over in order to get around this small store.
PS. If you're buying pointe shoes, be careful not to scuff or use the shoes too much, these girls will be on you like a cheap suit.
All in all I was thrilled with my visit, highly recommended.
I have been dancing salsa on a semi-religious basis for about two years now.
I love it. It's sexy, fun, great exercise and dammit if I don't look good doing it!!!
So after two years of having my "comfy" heels cut into my skin, make me bleed, give me blisters and scar my heels, I decided to cave in and buy professional dance heels.
Why didn't I do this before?!?!? They feel like you're walking on slippers!! Why don't normal designers make shoes that feel this good?
Oh wait...the soles are suede. You definitely DO NOT walk on any surface other than a dance floor wearing these shoes.
Dancin', dancin', DANCIN'!!! I'm a dancin' machine!!!
I came here during my first foray into ballet. Their dancewear/ballet selection is great and prices are reasonable. Dominique gave me lots of guidance and was extemely helpful and patient as I picked out my first ballet outfit, from head to toe.
At least now I'll look the part, that is, until I actually start moving my body.
I have feet that overpronate with any kind of exercise, and the sales assistants at San Francisco Dancewear probably pulled just about every character style dance shoe available for me to try on. They were so patient and sweet, and made it so much easier to buy a new pair of shoes. I ended up buying a pair of natural leather Capezio's and my feet loved them! :) It was definitely worth the trouble and expense!
Bonus: My new yoga pants!
I love, love, LOVE this store! :) Sure, it's a little on the expensive side, but the selection and… Read more »
I came in on a late Sunday afternoon to buy my first pair of salsa shoes, and the woman who helped me --we'll call her Jane since I can't remember her name---was so, so patient and pleasant as I proceeded to try on nearly every pair in the store in an effort to find some that fit my feed correctly (apparently my toes are not as "fleshy" as the shoe makers expect them to be). I finally settled on a pair that were pretty close..and have adjustable straps around the toes so I can get them to fit correctly. Jane was also happy to work within my budget, not pushing me towards the most expensive shoes.
September 2008: The shoes I bought there have worked out well. Still very happy with my purchase.
I needed a pair of dancer knee pads badly, and I mean really bad. We were doing some floor work at class and I messed up my knees terribly cause I'm a wuss. My teacher told me that next weeks class will be all floor work. Needless to say I'm not only in a rush to find good pads but I really need to be able to move in them.
I called up SF dancewear and Jenny answers the phone. She tells me about the 2 options they have in the store and goes as far to measure the thickness of each option. She lets me know they are out of my size in my preferred pad and offers to call their Oakland store.
She called me back in less then 5 minutes. They had my knee pads the next day and they are amazingly affordable.
i don't really give anything a 5 star rating but this place comes the closest so far.
I haven't been to a dance store for ages, but was happy to find SF Dancewear right in the city as I needed some Dansneakers. They have a lot of variety of everything all dance (ballet, modern, flamenco, salsa, the list goes on). The gal who was happy me was very friendly and helpful.
I like how they have a little dance floor section with a ballet bar and a mirror so you can really feel how the shoe fits.
I have spent probably thousands of dollars on dance supplies through the years - leotards, tights, canvas ballet shoes, pointe shoes, dance sneakers, jazz shoes, warm-ups, jazz pants, undergarments, and of course lovely little gel pads for your toes and other accessories. I used to buy retail, until I started needing to own a dozen leotards at a time for back to back classes and rehearsals in college. Then I learned where to score the deals.
SF Dancewear is not one of those places. First of all, I found the service in there to be snooty. And then, the prices on retail dancewear are expensive, and because they are located in downtown SF, the prices are even higher than normal. Granted, if you need something in a hurry, I guess this would be one of very few places in the city where you could get shoes or tights...but if you are taking classes all the time, I suggest buying from somewhere like Discount Dance Supply (online/catalog) where you can get decent prices on everything.
On the plus side, SF Dancewear gives discounts (10%) to members of the SF Dance Center, which is cool. But other than that, I'm all about the catalog.
We came in with the whole family (myself, husband, son, daughter) and were helped right away by a very sweet and friendly young lady. I told her my young daughter was about to start beginning ballet at so-and-so dance studio. She flipped through her book containing a list of local dance schools and their respective uniforms, and she knew what we needed to buy. Within 10 minutes, we had everything we needed and were out the door. Quick and painless, just the way I like!
For its downtown location, this is a fairly large shop, with a huge selection of all types of dance gear and footwear. Their kids' section seemed pretty big, too. I wanted to linger and poke around (and indulge my repressed girly side) but we didn't want to be late for our matinee showing of Kung Fu Panda....darned good movie by the way.
The only downside is probably the parking situation....the Metreon lot is probably your only option. It's 1 1/2 blocks away, which is deceptively short since it's a very looooong block! (across Yerba Buena)
This shop has everything you could need plus everything you want for dance. The staff is helpful, but the best part is that they have a "pointe shoe club" which, if you join, gets you a discount on pricey pointe shoes (i believe its the 6th pair free). They carry Freeds, which is all I buy but they seem to have a good selection of other brands...
They also have yoga clothes and cute warm-ups.
Perfect place to buy your signature tutu piece for under $20.
Great service too!
This place has so many fabulous dance clothes I left having way overspent my budget because I couldn't choose among colors and styles of dance pants. *sigh* Going to have to head back for some returns.
The dance clothes are expensive, but that's kind of how dance clothes work, regardless of the store. I love this one because the staff is friendly, funny, and helpful. The selection is also incredibly broad. Caters to a wide variety of dancers and has the space to stock that inventory.
I got my Bloch jazz shoes here too (unfortunately before I knew about the 10% discount we members of the SF Dance Center get here).
This was where I got all my dance clothing needs satisfied during my four years of college and countless classes, rehearsals and performances...
Need leg warmers for early morning dance class in chilly SF?
Need booty shorts so the entire audience doesn't see more than you (or they) want to?
Need the perfect pair of comfy dance/workout pants?
That's right...it's all here. They have everything you need for everything from yoga to ballroom dance to your everyday jazz class. The prices are a little steep, but that's just one of the curses of being a dancer: the clothes are always expensive. I especially like SF Dancewear's assortment of cute workout clothes that easily double as dance clothing.
But...I do second May T. Don't buy your shoes here. Try them on to figure out what size you need and order them from an online dance supply store. You'll save a lot of dough :)
I've bought all my dance shoes here.
Good selection ranging from affordable to higher professional end shoes: Go-Go's, Stephanie, Capezio, Elegance, Werner Kern, and a few others. I dance salsa but they sell shoes for all types of dance: ballet, flamenco, jazz...
Staffed by dancers who are knowledgeable and helpful. However, one staff member who assisted me, which I realize now, wasn't familiar with ballroom shoes, recommended that I buy a certain size. Then after a couple of times of wearing them, I realized that they were too big! She had said that they were my size and since I was new to dance too, I got them. $130 lost since they don't accept returns or exchanges on worn shoes. Minus one star.
One of the owners helped me before too and she was excellent, very direct and knew her merchandise. Nice.
They have a sale section too. Also, have a good selection of other dancing paraphernalia. They have an Oakland location which is not as big but they can ship btwn stores.
This is the dance store that I recommend to everyone.
So I finally decided to invest some cash on my first pair of ballet slippers in 15 years. YEAY!!! Of course I then proceed to take them home and pretend to be a ballerina in my kitchen, only to over stretch my leg and now I have to miss class for a week. So sad...
About Dancewear: The staff was friendly, they had a good selection of general dance clothes, although most things seemed to be a bit too expensive. (They are probably not, they were just expensive for me.) The canvas ballet slippers from Blosch were a $23. I don't remember if that included tax or not. They also had these very cool looking knitted shorts that were about $30. I'll probably go back for them sometime next week.
I went there immediately after class Sunday morning, but I got there about 10 mins too early so I just hang out while I finished my well-earned after-ballet class late. As I waited and made a few phone calls, a large group of little girls and their parents arrived. They all rushed in as soon as they opened the doors. As it turned out, they were there to get fitted for new ballet toe shoes. *Sigh* That took a while, they were all very excited and talkative and there were pictures being taken. *Sigh* Just... shoot me.
The people working there were very patient and seemed to take great care to make sure the girls got the right shoes.
I am still madly in love with the salsa shoes I bought here. If the soles weren't made of suede I would probably consider wearing them everyday - (beautiful multi-colored and silver glitter goes with many things, believe it or not).
I compared a few stores both here in the city and up in San Rafael and found this place to not necessarily have more things but definitely more things that I liked and though were cute. There was lots of other dance-related stuff to peruse but I was focused on salsa shoes at the time.
The customer service is horrendous and everyone should tell them so - this is why I'm taking away three stars. A little girl was buying her first pair of toe shoes and they practically made her cry. Now, granted, I'm not from the ballet world, so maybe that's like a right of passage or something. But come on! The sales girls showered bitchy von bitchenstein-attitude on practically everyone who walked through their door. But if you can take a few minutes of that then maybe this is the place to get your dance paraphernalia
I'm grateful for this store, and the girls who work there are caring & fairly attentive. Has a great selection for a wide variety of dance genres. However the assistants are generally ballet dancers and not much else, which makes it hard to receive guidance on other types of shoes. If you ask for help, you'll get it. But you need to request attention. While I like the store & its assistants, I would prefer a more proactive, knowledgeable environment to shop in. A customer can find that knowledge if the assistants were well-versed in a variety of dances: ballet, standard, latin, salsa, etc.
I had a similar experience to Britta's over the phone with orders. I'm resorting to online purchasing, which actually the store should be trying to prevent by keeping items that match each other in stock.
This place has been a major dissapointment. First of all, I found their ballroom dance shoe selection poor and guidance of the sales associate was non existent. I finally found something workable but they didn't have it in my size. So I was told they could order it but it would take about 2 weeks. No problem. I gave my information and was assured that someone would call me. Well 2 1/2 weeks went by and I heard nothing. So I called to make sure they hadn't forgotten about me. "No, we haven't. It's been ordered. Sometimes our merchandise gets stuck in customs. We will call you as soon as it gets here."
Ok, so today I happened to walk by the store, and thought I would inquire about the status. The clerk looked at me strangely, checked the book and then told me that the items had not been ordered yet. "They probably are waiting for a minimum oder number before they place the order." - "WHAT!!!" Are they kidding me? It's been 4 1/2 weeks now and I still don't have shoes. What a joke. So now I am taking my chance online.
good place to buy basics. when i was taking modern dance a few years ago (that's right, bitches; jazz, ballet and tap weren't enough to satisfy my restless feet), i got my leg warmers, tights and leotards here. the shoes, i ordered off ze 'net because there are way better deals, but for the day-to-day stuff, there were some pretty good bargains. staff is knowledgeable, but don't go out of their way to help.
it's a decent shop to go through if you already know what you need and want.
does anyone want me to do the flashdance sequence from the end of the movie now?
I stumbled upon this place one day on my way to school. This place is awesome! Great ballet memories. I did not however, stock up on leotards or pointe shoes, rather work out clothes. This place is awesome for sports bras, exercise capris and work out shorts. I will definitely come back when I need some new dance pants or work out tops. They have stuff for any type of dancer as well. Wish it had been around when i was a kid....or maybe it was?
Love buying cozy knits here like sweaters and legwarms and wraps.
Yay for ballet-chic.
ok i am an adult that takes ballet classes three times a week, but i am not a conventional ballet shape. yeah that's right, i've got curves, and i am NOT bun-head sized. so the fact that this store has a variety of dancewear for all different shapes and sizes, i think FIVE STARS!! they carry most of the KD dance line, which is my fave. they have plenty of cute and fun stuff to spice up your dance wardrobe. HOWEVER...you need to go in there knowing what you want, because the staff is not necessarily very kind. sometimes i get the "wtf are YOU doing in here?" vibe, and other staff are very polite. yes, there are a few girls that are super snooty, but the owner is honest and knows what products fit on a non-bunhead sized person. so i take a star off for snooty ballet biotches...the world is full of 'em, but do you really want to be hiring them for your staff? other than that, great place, great product!
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