Materials

Flamenco shoes are made primarily from leather and suede, but other decorative materials are used as well. I prefer a shoe where the lower part is made of leather because it will last longer. With Senovilla shoes, I have never had an issue with breaking them in and feeling comfortable. However, other dancers tell me they prefer suede because they feel broken in faster. So in general, suede is said to be more comfortable, and leather lasts longest. If you do a decorative material, I advise you put it on the top part. Inevitably the inner part of your shoes at the heels will rub against each other and destroy fancy fabrics. I have a suede pair with a black and white polka dot pattern over the lower part/body of the shoe and the pattern is all blurred where my shoes have rubbed against each other during footwork/taconeo. Just something to keep in mind. But as always, it is an aesthetic choice as well, and if your shoes make you smile every time you take them out of the bag, that is a little slice of happiness we all need in our lives.