Smooth soled shoes are essential to dance as the tango requires a bit of turning and pivoting. Without them you risk knee and ankle injury, so please make sure you wear suitable shoes.
Gentleman's Shoes
It is very hard to find ordinary shoes with smooth soles and ideally no rim on the soles edge, so there is no real alternative then purchasing yourself a pair of dancing shoes. For comfort soft shoes are best for class use and you may like to have a pair for more dressy occasions.
Cuban heels are not recommended for Argentine Tango.
Ladies Shoes
Heels are highly recommended for the ladies. Start of with a short heel that you are comfortable with and over time you can work up to a higher heel. For classes we suggest a dance shoe with a closed toes and an ankle strap to secure the shoe.
Dance Trainers
Bloch and other Jive/Jazz styles of dance shoes are not recommended for tango as they are too bulky and have thick soles. However some companies make an excellent range of dance trainers especially for Tango. These have thin soles and uppers that are light and comfortable and very flexible. Unfortunately they are a specialist item and hard to find.
Tips
Dance shoes are usually sized 1 or 2 sizes lower then your standard size.
Ordering shoes online can be very risky. I always advise drawing around your foot on a piece of paper, add dimensions, scan in the image and email it with your order.
If you buy your shoes on holiday in a hot country, such as Argentina, buy your shoes in the first few days as your feet will swell with the temperature and all the dancing you'll be doing.
Don't buy really cheap dance shoes, they will wear out really fast - you get what you pay for.
If you buy shoes online be aware that if they don't fit, it will be really hard to exchange them or get your money back, but then again, it may be worth it.
Regional Dance Shoe Shops
Fit2Dance - Altrincham and Manchester. A good, but limited range of dance shoes for ladies and gentleman. The staff are really helpful and friendly.
Salters Dancewear - Sale, Manchester. Limited range, but they have a few suitable shoes.
Overseas Dance Shoe Shops
Info coming soon...
EBay
There are a few dealers based in Buenos Aires that sell Tango shoes on ebay. I have successfully bought a few pairs this way, but as always - caveat emptor.