Niki’s Info Post – Trainers

  Hi everyone!

Welcome to our blog, this week we will cover the most asked question, yes you got it “What are the best trainers for Zumba?”

                                     So many styles!

                                     So many brands!

                                     So many sizes!

  So which should you buy?

The majority of enquiries received by you in our classes are about which are the best shoes to wear for our Zumba fitness programme. As with most things in life there is no right answer, as it depends entirely on, your body structure, your physical abilities and your sense of style. As to which is the more important to you, I’ll leave that for you to decide.

What we can do here is guide and help you make the right choice as the wrong choice could lead to discomfort, aches and injuries and this is what we don’t want.  We don’t want you to give up on Zumba and inevitable give up on an enjoyable way of improving mind, body, soul and above all keeping fit because of the wrong shoes.

As our classes are a balance between dance and fitness, I would not advise dance trainers e.g Bloch, Capezio etc, as they will not completely provide the stability and support you need for our high impact routines. Dance trainers famously known for their flexible sole made of softer squishier compound than standard trainers, with excellent grip, spin spot and spilt sole and great for carpet work. However, their shock absorption is light, as they have lightweight soles. Therefore dance trainers may not give you the support required during our classes.

Standard trainers are designed for pounding tarmac and outdoor surfaces like pavements in the rain, and to be able to survive the abrasive nature of “the outdoors” the compound used to make the sole is hard and dense. Great for outdoors but on the dance floors we use for all our classes, these trainers have too much grip and at some point during an energetic turn the trainer will stick to the floor and you will very likely create soreness.

Look no further I have found the perfect shoe!

After years of wearing various different trainers (Nike, Rykas, Pumas etc) teaching day after day, week after week for almost four years now, I am very confident in sharing with you all the trainers I and the team wear and we swear by their brilliantness.

 How I came about finding them?

In 2011, I attended the Zumba Instructor Convention in Florida where I was surrounded by over 6,000 worldwide instructors. A very large majority were wearing these bright, colourful trainers and what clearly stood out was that they all pretty much had the same springy sole. Well of course I asked around and each   instructor had the same response, “these are the best trainers you’ll ever wear”. Well I bought my first pair in Florida and have never looked back.

 The trainers are REEBOK ZIGS!

Zig Lite Rush

Yes Reebok Zigs have changed my life and give me the support I need. I’m on my 6th pair and I LOVE THEM. Nothing else has ever given me more support, shock absorption, and “foot energy” than these shoes. And although they are running trainers and look trendy, the treads aren’t real grippy which makes them work well for me. No trouble at all allowing slides and turns and I am never in pain, especially as I used to get shin splints. They give you the right amount of arch support that’s required and fantastic shock absorption. The zigzag sole gives you a lot of bounce.  They are really lightweight and despite the large tread they move really well on wood and carpet.

Which Zigs do I buy?

Firstly I would like to stress that every foot is different, so please if you happen to be in Central London stop by the Reebok store and try them on! Put them on, have a feel and do a turn (don’t worry the shop assistants see it all the time :-)).

 Zigs come in different styles!

Yes this is where it can get a little confusing, as there are a lot of different styles to pick from. I personally own a pair of Zig Tech, Zig Nano & Zig Lite.

I have found the Zig Tech to provide more arch support, but please note it is a heavier shoe with more tread (bigger profile). They are ideal for a medium to heavy build.

Zig Nano is a lighter sole and a lower profile version of the Zig Tech, they provide a smoother movement.

Zig Lite are again another sleek, lightweight shoe which is shaped for unique energy return from heel to toe, with the perfect balance of cushioning and response.

I personally adore both Zig Nano & Zig Lite. All Zigs come in tons of colours, you can also custom colour them, how cool is that! And they are reasonably priced.

As the Reebok Zigs are not available in most high street sport shops but largely available over the internet, I would suggest you buy your size as they do run true to size.

I am happy to see some members have already taken our advice and love them too.

Happy shopping 🙂

Zumba Fitness with NIKI & Team x x