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Softshoes
Photo courtesy of Antonio Pacelli
Only girls wear softshoes like the ones pictured here. These are also called g(h)illies, light shoes and pumps. They have very long laces (roughly 2 metres long) and are fastened by a series of loops on both sides with an additional loop on the back of the heel. Some newer designs also have side loops by the ankles. Softshoes are made of black leather with a black or beige sole. Laces are wrapped around the ankles and tied together. Some dancers also choose to tie their laces around the arches and make the knot on the top of the foot because tying them around the ankles may interfere with the extension and pointing of the foot. A tip to keep in mind to make sure you don't tie the laces too tight and cut off circulation is to tighten and lace up the shoes with your feet flexed.
One common mistake that parents of young beginner dancers make it to buy shoes that are too big and figure that their child's foot will eventually grow into them. Do not do this! What you have to do is buy the smallest pair of shoes the foot can be crammed into because these babies stretch big time! Once they do stretch, they will be too big on the toes and it will look like the dancer isn't pointing their feet. The shoes will also be too big and difficult to dance in. For example, my street shoe size is an 8 and my softshoes are a 5.5.
Boys' Softshoes
Photo courtesy of Antonio Pacelli
Boys's softshoes are a lot different from girls' softshoes. Boys' softshoes are just like hardshoes (see below) but without the ankle strap and the tip at the front. Boys' softshoes are also called reel shoes. They are also black and made of leather. They have a heel at the back which has a tip so the dancer can make clicks with them. I don't know anything else about reel shoes, if you have any other information you feel should be here, please send it on by!
Hardshoes
Photo courtesy of Antonio Pacelli
Everyone's favourite shoe! Hardshoes are black and made of leather. They have tips at the front of the foot and on the heel which make tapping noises. The tips can be made of anything from wood (back in the 'old days') to fiberglass and nylon. The front tip enables the dancer to do toestands. Some newer shoe manufacturers add bubbles to the inside of the heels to make clicks easier. They also have an ankle strap to further secure the shoes. Like softshoes, these also stretch. Most dancers add elastics onto the shoes for further security. Some also choose to attach metal buckles as decoration. The buckles are usually rectangular shaped, but there are shamrock ones available as well.
Socks
Female dancers wear poodle socks or bubble socks with their shoes. Poodle socks are big white socks with lots of bumps on them that come up just below the knee. You can see what they look like in the above pictures of hardshoes and ghillies. Guys wear knee socks in the colour that usually matches their kilt.
Girls' Costumes
Girls' costumes are very large and elaborate. A girl starts out with her school dress, which is simpler and usually has some sort of symbol of her school. Once a girl reaches the higher levels of competition, she gets a solo dress - solo dresses are usually made of velvet but they can be made from a variety of other materials too, including raw silk and gabardine. Both school and solo dresses are in the same basic design and have embroidery and capes on them but solo dresses are much more elaborate. All dresses have long sleeves with big cuffs and a large panel at the front. Some front panels are divided in two. Most dresses are accompanied by lace collars. The embroidery can be in a variety of colours and just about any design - Celtic knotwork and spirals, animals, musical instruments, shoes, shamrocks, and images from the Book of Kells are just some examples. Most girls have their hair curled and wear large rhinestone tiaras or headbands.
Boys' Costumes
Boys' attire pales in comparison to that of the girls'. Boys wear a kilt (usually one-coloured and not as fancy as Scottish kilts) with a white shirt and jacket. Boys wear kneesocks that match their kilts and that's about it. In light of the large Irish dance shows, very few boys wear kilts. Most now choose to wear pants with a long sleeved shirt and tie.
