Dance shoes

Paired here are the dance shoes worn by Tony and Sally DeMarco, a prominent professional ballroom dance team in the 1940s. The couple donated a group of over fifty garments and shoes to the museum, mostly associated with their professional activities. This paring of his-and-hers shoes best epitomizes the glamour of the dance floor, in which the reflective materials would serve to draw attention to the dancers' footwork. As with the other pairs of his footwear in the donation, Mr. DeMarco's oxfords are fabricated specifically as dance shoes, with a soft and flexible construction. All of Mrs. DeMarco's dance shoes, on the other hand, appear to be standard Palter/de Liso evening sandals, with a rubber tread added for traction. This pair of sandals with its interesting asymmetric design and contrasting textures and colors is unique among the group, as the rest consists of eight pairs of satin sandals in two styles (closed and open back) dyed in a rainbow of colors to match her gowns.