Capezio Adult T-Strap Character Shoe (700) -CARAMEL -8

As a professional musician and performer, I will let you in on an industry secret- the T-Strap style is the most flattering, it elongates the leg more significantly than other character shoe styles. The Capezio T-Strap Character shoe is an affordable, well made option- I had my last pair over a decade of heavy use and multiple re-sole-ings before they finally began to disintegrate. I typically wear a 7.5 WW in street shoes, but the 8W works perfectly for me here. In terms of wide widths for performers, options are limited, and other than $250+ custom shoes, this is the most comfortable style I have found. The sides of this shoe are high enough to provide the extra support needed. I stretch them for about a week, and then wear them around the house with heavy crew socks for another week before working in them. The heel is a great compromise- high enough to look great, but still very comfortable for hours of standing, dancing, prancing, etc. So in terms of sizing- consider ordering up a half size, especially if you have a wide foot, but keep in mind that stretching and breaking in is an important part of the equation, so you want them to start out being snug so they conform to your foot.

I bought these to dance in: swing and cha-cha-cha. They are perfect. The height (2" heal) is elegant without making me lose my balance. And the fit is exactly the same as my street shoe size, making ordering easy.The tan leather is supple and soft and the hard leather soles of the shoes glide easily. The soles are cross-hatched on the bottom to provide a little traction, but I would not recommend wearing these as street shoes, since you will ruin them as dance shoes. I only wear mine inside on carpet or on hardwood.If you want to use these as street shoes, you will need to take them to a cobbler as suggested by other reviewers. I think that would be a wise investment, since they are really pretty shoes that go with everything from summer skirts to party dresses, and they don't cost a fortune.My husband even thinks these shoes are pretty and feminine, which surprised me. Like most guys, he never notices my shoes! Why oh why do women waste hundreds of dollars on Choos and Blahniks anyway? These shoes are as elegant as you will ever need, are all leather, and are reasonably priced. My husband even suggested I get a pair in black!Happy dancing!

I normally wear an 8 in women's shoe an 8.5 in sneaker. I guess if I ordered a size 9 it would fit. I do not want to buy a shoe size 9 when I am measured to be an 8 and wear an 8. 9 would be the largest shoe size I ever ordered. Not sure why a shoe would be running so small. I like the style with the t strap is nice. The leather is not high end leather looks closer to plastic than leather. On style nice 8.5 was snug I sent it back. I rather pay for a higher quality leather for a dancing shoe

I sing/dance in several amateur theater productions a year. After going through several pairs of lower quality character shoes in the last few years, I decided to spend the money and buy Capezios. Once I began rehearsing in them, I was immediately glad I spent the money. They're worth it!The leather is stiff enough to support but still flexible enough to conform to my foot, & the strap is securely attached and doesn't fray at the end. The elastic attaching the buckle is well attached to the shoe, not something that will soon fray and break. Nothing inside the shoe or on the uppers has an edge to rub on the foot, so they've been comfortable from the first wearing.I would suggest buying a 1/2 size larger than your street shoe size. I don't normally wear a wide shoe, but the fit is perfect, so unless you normally wear a narrow shoe, I'd order the wide. I've also found they give me a more adult look than the mary jane-style character shoes. I went from 1 1/2" to 2" heels with no problem. The only problem I had is that the sole was a bit too smooth, even after a few wearings, and I had to scuff them quite a bit to keep from slipping & falling!

After reading the favorable reviews about arch support and comfort I was excited to try these shoes. I am not disappointed. The shoes are a narrow fit, which works well for me, and the arch support is superior. Leather is very supple and requires minimal time to break in. My favorite feature, however, is the little notch cut at the back of the heel so the shoe doesn't cut into my achilles tendon! Wow! All shoes should have this feature. Clearly these shoes are designed for dancing, which I appreciate as a retired ballerina, but this intelligent design will be appreciated by ladies who wear these as street shoes (which is my intent). For continuous street use you will want to take them to a shoe repair to add rubber soles/heels, however. The soles are designed for theater use and the attachment of taps.

I ordered these shoes knowing that Capezio means comfort. I actually wore them to a wedding in January and they were great. They looked wonderful with my dress. However, the 7W size was not wide enough. The shoe was rather narrow for "Wide" size. If you have a normal-size foot, then I highly recommend this shoe for a special occasion. They're made of leather and are therefore classy and comfortable.The size 7 was true to size, just not the width.

I bought these about a year ago for two-step and swing dancing and they are by far the most comfortable dance shoes (not to mention the most comfortable heels) I've ever worn! The heel is high enough to keep me balanced and low enough that I can (and do) dance for hours without any pain. I wear a 9 and the 9 fits true to size AND molds to your foot after a few wearings. Also I don't have high arches, but the arch support is part of what makes them so comfy. And as other reviewers have mentioned, wearing them on the street will kill the soles quickly - mine have made a few trips from the car to the dance hall, but I mostly only wear them inside and the soles are still in decent social dancing (but not ballroom) shape. All in all a great shoe!