Looking for a shoe to wear for your zumba class? Here's my best pick....

I decided that the best all-around, best performing shoe for zumba that is comfortable right out of the box  is the Ryka Studio Flex Low. 


Here they are and they come in black and white:


Ryka - Studio Flex Low (White/Chrome Silver/Angel Blue) - Footwear
Ryka - Studio Flex Low (Black/Steel Grey) - Footwear


Ryka - Studio Flex Mid (White/Chrome Silver) - Footwear

Why is this the best pick?

1. They are cross-trainers so they give you the correct support for an aerobics fitness class such as zumba.
2. They fit true to size and do not run narrow like the Nike shoes.
3. They are well cushioned so you do not even have to put an alternate insole in the shoe.
4. They are very lightweight which is important because zumba has alot of fast footwork.
5. They have minimal tread on the bottom of the shoe, just enough for a little traction for those jumping moves, but smooth enough to pivot and do those twisting and gliding zumba moves.
6. They have a nice mesh upper that allows your foot to breathe. 
7. Ryka shoes are made especially for a woman's foot. (Sorry guys but you can check out my top zumba shoes for men)

Okay, so they are not the most colorful shoes but you can pop them with some colorful shoelaces!

If you cannot decide on what shoes to get for your zumba class you will not go wrong with the Ryka - Studio Flex Low or Ryka - Studio Flex Mid.

If you want to compare them to other shoes visit top shoes for zumba.

Zumba Fitness Video Game Available Now!

Just released today! The Zumba Fitness Video Game
for the xBox 360 with Kinect, Nintendo Wii or Playstation 3.

The new Kinect with the xbox360 allows you to do the zumba fitness video game hands-free without remote controls. So it will be just like dancing in your zumba class.

This will sell out fast for holiday shoppers so if you want one get it now!
Zumba Fitness Video Game for Wii
Zumba Fitness Video Game for Playstation 3
Zumba Fitness Video Game for XBOX 360-Kinect

Tips for Selecting a Good Shoe for Zumba

I hate it when I buy a shoe for zumba class or any other fitness activity and then after trying it out I find that it does not perform as I hoped it would.

Here are some things I found that will help you select the right shoe and make your shoe work for you.

1. If it is important that your feet feel very comfortable and cushioned, then wearing a thicker sock and adding a cushioned insole like the Spenco Cross Trainer Insoleto the shoe will change the feel of the shoe drastically.  So when trying on the shoe take this into consideration. You may have to buy a size up in order to make this work.
2. When trying the shoe on, stand up and place all of your weight into the toebox. If your toes feel constrained or the shoe does not allow your foot to feel comfortable then the shoe is too narrow. Sometimes going a size up remedies this. You definitely want to be able to spread the toes out inside the shoe when placing weight on the ball of the foot. You may also need to try this with the back of your foot in the heel as well.
3. For most people, the right foot is bigger than the left. So make sure you try on both shoes and fit according to your right foot.
4. When deciding between two different shoes, try one on the right foot and the other on the left foot. Stand up and place your weight into the shoes. This is a great way to compare the feeling of support in different styles.
5. Pick a shoe that feels supportive in the whole footbed, not just in the heels. If you can't find this then adding the athletic insole will make the shoe more supportive. Remember that for zumba you want a shoe that has multi-directional support.
6. Select a shoe that has a replaceable insole. I found that almost always I replace the insole with ones that are meant for athletic activities, such as the Spenco Cross Trainer Insoleand it makes my feet feel much more supported.
7. Take into consideration the type of tread on the sole of the shoe. I prefer some tread because I like some traction while doing zumba, as in the Nike - Air Max Team ST. Choosing a shoe with less traction and that glides more, like the Nike - Musique III, may be better if you have problems with your knees or just want a shoe that slides better.

Take your time in choosing your shoes and you will be much happier with your selection. Personally, I like ordering shoes online at Zappos.com(instead of in a retail store where I may feel rushed) to make the best decision, especially because they have free shipping both ways. For a complete list of recommended shoes for zumba visit http://dancenyoga.com/best_shoes_for_zumba.

Zumba Fitness and Curves Circuit Training

What do you get when you combine Zumba fitness with the Curves circuit?  A really fun workout!

Zumba fitness has partnered with Curves circuit training so that Curves may now employ licensed zumba instructors to lead the "recovery" sections or rather the cardio sections of the Curves circuit.

The Curves circuit consists of interval training using hydraulic resistant machines that are positioned in the round. After each interval of resistant training there is a cardio section. Zumba instructors will be in the middle of the round so that when participants rotate to the next section they will be doing zumba while positioned inbetween the machines. Each interval will be one minute and the total workout is thirty minutes.

This creates thousands of more jobs for zumba instructors and much more publicity and memberships for Curves.

Exercise Video Games are Hot!!

I can see that exercise video games are gaining more and more popularity. New video "exergames", including the new Zumba Fitness Video Game are now available for pre-order and will be ready to ship late November 2010.

The Zumba Fitness Video Game will be available to play on the XBox 360, Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3. So which do you buy if you need to buy the console?

Amazon has done a great job in explaining the benefits and details between the three of them. For a complete explanation go to Compare Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3.

Since dance is so popular now as a fun way to exercise there are other dance video games on the market such as Dance Central and Michael Jackson The Experience.

I suspect these will sell out fast for the holidays so better get them sooner than later.

I LOVE My New Shoes for Zumba - My Shoe Buying Story

I have been wearing the Ryka Studio Flex for a year now, strictly for my zumba classes, and I was way overdue for a new pair of shoes.

I decided I wanted a shoe with more support because I teach zumba and my feet endure alot of impact and so I want to support them as much as I can.

I knew I wanted a cross-trainer because while running shoes feel great, they do not have the lateral support that I need.

So I compared two Nike trainers that had good reviews, The Nike Air Max Team ST (the black shoe) and the Nike Free XT Quick Fit (the purple one):

I found that the Nike Free XT had more support in the whole footbed while the Nike Air Max Team St did not have as much support under the ball of the foot. But the Nike Free XT were more narrow. The Nike Air Max Team ST had more room for the whole top of my foot. You can see in this picture that the Nike Air Free (the purple shoe) is more narrow in the toe box than the other one.

I also found that I needed to go a whole size up in these shoes. I normally wear a size 7 but the size 8 was better. So my next decision was to take out the insert that came with the shoe and add an athletic insert that would add much more cushioning.

I then tried on both shoes with and without the inserts. The inserts I use are Spenco Polysorb Cross Trainer Insert.

My final decision was to go with the Nike Air Max Team St. The bigger toebox made a big difference. And when I added the Spenco inserts it greatly improved the cushioning under the entire footbed. I also like that the Nike Air Max was slightly shorter in length than the Nike Free XT, which makes sense since the Nike Free's are more narrow.

Now I am very happy with my new shoes!

I am also VERY happy with Zappos and my experience of ordering shoes online. Why? Because I could never do all this trial and error while shopping for shoes in a regular shoe store. I would drive the salesperson crazy, to say the least!  When I try on shoes in my own home I can take my time and really compare and weigh out the pros and cons of each shoe.

I even ordered twice and returned twice and Zappos graciously accepted it all. I love to support businesses that provide outstanding customer service and I try to treat all my business transactions the same way. Zappos ROCKS!!

In conclusion, with these Nike shoes order a size up AND replace the insole with an athletic insert. If your feet are narrow I would go with the Nike Free XT:
Nike - Free XT Quick Fit+ (Red Plum/Voltage Cherry-White-Black) - Footwear (and they come in different colors too) because they DO have more cushioning in the front of the shoe, but if you need more room in the toebox then go with the Nike Air Max Team ST:
Nike - Air Max Team ST (Black/White-Hot Lime-Pink Flash-Hot Lime) - Footwear and these also come in other colors. I would still replace the insole with either shoe you buy.

I  have more recommended shoes on my site at http://dancenyoga.com/best_shoes_for_zumba.