Bloch Party: Boost Your Dance Class Performance!

Bloch Party: Boost Your Dance Class Performance!

We can dance if we want to.  We can leave your friends behind.  We can also slip, twist an ankle and tear a ligament.  Is that what they meant by "Safety Dance"?

Though dance requires that we move more fluidly and gym workouts require a different type of support, most of us throw on the same sneakers for hip hop and Zumba classes that we do for running on the treadmill or lifting weights.  With that in mind, Bloch -- Australian dance shoe veterans since 1932 -- is launching their first ever Dance Fitness sneaker collection ($70-$100) this February.

Here's a sneak peek!

So, what's the difference between this new line and the existing Bloch sneakers?  The past shoes were for dance only.  This new line has both fitness and rug cutting in mind.  According to Steve Smith, Head of US & European Sales for the company, "The Bloch Dance Fitness sneakers were designed with dancers in mind. A technically superior lightweight sole features a spin spot on the ball of the foot that offers the optimum ability to execute the full range of movements such as sliding and 360-degree rotations in dance fitness class for both dancers and non-dancers."  It's all about mobility.

Options with evocative names like Lightening, Apex and Traverse are made from super high-tech lightweight materials built for shock absorption, but also bounce.  (Now you can jump for joy safely!)

Most significantly, the company's dance expertise comes into play with a special "spin spot" on the ball of each foot, which is meant to make spinning and sliding easier, so you're not forcing your foot.  Padding that surrounds that spot is meant to help with balance and control and then the outer edges of the soles act as a break or grip.

In the last few years, Bloch has also launched a pretty adorable women's ready-to-wear shoe collection and they've employed the same designer, Jozette Hazzouri, for this sneaker line.  Decorative patterns on the slim sneakers -- in pretty colors, but also more basic black -- seem to suggest movement and were apparently inspired by the company's dance heritage.

If these shoes are as reliable as the company's famed ballet slippers, then they should be here to stay, especially for those who stay in shape via dance classes.

You might say they're a chip off the old Bloch.

More about Bloch.