Tic-Tac-Toes

Dance Shoes

"Dancing the Night Away"

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MADE IN AMERICA 1 Hamilton St. • PO Box 953 • Gloversville, NY 12078 • Tel: 800-648-8126 • Fax: 888-909-8116


UPPERS:

We proudly use only full-grain leathers. Our nappa tannage results in foot-forming comfort and natural breathability available only in leather shoes. We control our own leather-finishing and have the industry’s largest selection of colors including metallics. We add a non-scuff coating on the leather for durable longevity.

Slipper-like comfort is provided by our soft tricot lining enhanced by a sub-layer of light latex foam which allows the foot perspiration to be absorbed by the leather and dissipated to the air.

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INSOLES:

The bottoms of your feet are treated to a full length resilient cushion of Vikofome® inner sole. This long-lasting, technologically-advanced open-cell material absorbs shock and impact. It’s anti-bacterial and whisks away perspiration from your feet and prevents friction and blistering. Vikofome® strikes the perfect balance between molding to your foot and maintaining “bounce-back.” Many of our higher heeled shoes are offered with our Sof-Step insole package. This package adds an additional layer of perforated Vikofome to give more cushioning and more perspiration absorption.

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SOLES:

The best shoes in the industry call for the best soling in the industry, and again, Tic-Tac-Toes has listened. Our HH and exclusive HHH weight suede’s are thicker to provide both the feel and extended shoe life you desire.

Our Men’s selection includes a ¼” nuron crepe rubber platform that increases the “ball” cushioning. This same cushioning is used on items such as our Louise and Benny.

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HEELS:

Heels must be attractive and functional at the same time. Our heels offer a number of outstanding design features including Tic-Tac-Toes’ exclusive 1/2 inch rubber cushioning to absorb impact, generous top-lift area for stability, and engineered slip-resistance. Our patent-pending Fusaro soft impact heel represents our commitment to excellence.
Our selection of heel colors, shapes, heights and materials are second to none. From 1/2 inch flats to 2 inch see-through's, our heels are flattering and functional.

SIZING & HEEL INFORMATION:

Whenever a size chart is marked with N, M, W the specific width is as follows:

Narrow (N) = AA   •   Medium (M) = B   •   Wide (W) = D

Heel Height
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Many times we are asked why is it that a shoe that claims to have a 1 ¾” heel is not 1 ¾” high when the customer receives it. No, it is not that we are lying to our customers. What happens is physics comes into play. Most manufacturers have a standard size they use for their lasts and patterns. In the case of tic-tac-toes, we use a size 8 women’s American. As an aside, American feet are getting bigger. During the 1950-1970 era the standard for American sizes was a size 6. Based on that size the heel will be 1 3/4”. But as the actual foot grows to say size 11 the difference in total length of the shoe would grow about 1 inch. That one inch growth is not just at the front of the foot but typically is about ½” at the toe and ½” at the heel. Or, in-other-words, (as measured from the center of the foot) the last grows equally in both directions. The ½” toe portion grows along the street side of the shoe, but the heel portion grows upward towards the sky along the angle created by the street and the top of the heel. If you look at a triangle of this growth, the line marked C in the above diagram grows higher as the foot gets longer. Since line C is represented by the heel height, the heel must become higher as the foot grows. Although a certain amount of heel height trapping is done (meaning as an example Size 7 ½, 8, 8 ½ might be the same height) because it will still be comfortable for the person wearing the shoe. If a size 11 tried to wear the same heel height as a size 8 the foot would fall into an unnatural balance position and would create discomfort and stability problems.

So for tic-tac-toes, if you are a size 8 the heel height should be approximately what our specifications call for. As a rule of thumb for every full size upward (9,10, 11 etc) the heel rises about 1/16”-1/8” and conversely the same going downward (7,6, 5 etc).

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BUCKLES & BOWS:

We use slide buckles which are infinitely adjustable as compared to the normal prong buckle. The slide buckle is easy to adjust to any position on the foot. Conversely the prong buckle has 3 or 4 preposition holes which you must fool with to get the prong into and which may give you a tight or loose or uncomfortable fit.

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SHANKS:

In order to provide better lateral stability we use only wide steel shanks. This shank also helps in tightening the top line of the shoe to the foot.

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LASTS & PATTERNS:

In our style descriptions we give the “last” and “pattern base” used for each style. This information is provided to help you evaluate potential fit characteristics when ordering.

The foot-shaped form around which any shoe is built is called a “last”. Early lasts were carved from wood. Modern lasts are made of plastic compounds machined on computer-controlled lathes. Materials such as leather are formed around the last to produce a shoe of a specific size and width. Manufacturers make slight variations in lasts according to the types of shoes being produced and foot characteristics unique to the consumer being served. Our feet change as we age, becoming somewhat wider and fuller.

The lasts used for shoes shown on this site were developed to fit the greatest number of adult feet as well as meet the comfort needs of dance. There are rather large variances in the foot structure between nationalities. Examples of this are -generally speaking: The Italian foot is usually narrower then the American foot of the same length. The German foot is typically wider then the American foot of the same length. The Mexican foot is somewhat shorter in general and also wider for a typical size. Tictactoes are built for the American foot as based on historical standards.

As a rule, different styles built on the same last will provide comparable fit. For example, on http://www.tictactoes.com/dance/square_high.htm styles April and Chere will both offer the fit characteristics of the “April” last.

Each style of shoe is made from a specific “pattern base”. Several different styles may be made from the same pattern base. Variations in the addition of straps, overlays, buckles or other ornamentation will change the style, but the pattern base is still the same. In some cases a pattern base is used on different lasts. Again, generally speaking, the fit of a particular pattern base will remain consistent even though last and style may vary. At http://www.tictactoes.com/dance/square_2inch.htm we indicate that styles Carmen and Dotty are derived from pattern base “Chere”. Though a different last is used, both styles will offer fit attributes of the Chere pattern base.
Though the intricacies of pattern design and materials used will result in some fit variations, awareness of the last and pattern base relationship to fit can be very helpful in your size and width selection.

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©2006 Tic-Tac-Toes Manufacturing Corp.
1 Hamilton Street • PO Box 953
Gloversville, NY 12078
800-648-8126
info@tictactoes.com

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