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GHILLIES/POMPS/PUMPS/SOFT SHOES
These shoes are the girl's soft shoe. They slightly resemble a soft ballet slipper, only with loops. They are black, and have a tan or black sole.
DANCED IN
The reel, the light jig, the slip jig, and figure dances/ceili
BREAKING THEM IN
I usually start by bending my shoes back and forth. You may hear a cracking noise; that's okay. After that, I hold the shoes over a pot of steaming water, and bend them back and forth. Bending the shoes gives it the effect of pointing and flexing. Steam the shoes until there is no water left in the pot. I advise against dropping your shoes in the pot of water and then fitting them to your feet. This could result in damage to the leather and inner parts of the shoe. If you have a shoe with cushioning, I would strongly advise against that technique. Some dancers swear by it, but I prefer to play it safe. Since the leather will be slightly damp from the steam, wait a day before performing the next part of the breaking-in process.
Massage baseball glove oil onto your shoe. Work the oil into the leather until it feels soft. *Careful! Wipe off your shoes before putting them in your bag- this stuff can seep onto your other shoes/socks/you name it!
HEAVIES/JIG SHOES/HEAVY SHOES
These shoes are usually obtained at the 2nd year of dancing, and are used by boys and girls. They are black, with a tip and a heel which is about an inch off of the ground. There is a strap which keeps the shoe tight on your foot while you dance. You can purchase elastics when the leather starts to give, and the shoe becomes loose. I prefer the elastics which you wrap around the underside of your shoe, then crossed over your ankle. The other elastics have a major risk factor- I've seen far too many dancers who's shoe elastics have shot off mid-dance.
DANCED IN
The heavy/treble jig, hornpipe, treble reel, and traditional/open set dances.
BREAKING THEM IN
Same as softshoes! Since heavies are harder to break in, you might want to steam them every other day, with the oil technique on the days that you don't steam.
REEL SHOES/SOFT SHOES
The soft shoes for boys. They look like a black jazz shoe with a heel, which is used for clicking.
DANCED IN
The reel, light jig, figure dances/ceili
BREAKING THEM IN
Reel shoes aren't in serious need of breaking in. They mostly come in a split-sole type, so you don't have to worry about flexibility. You may want to massage the leather with oil to make it softer.
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