hard shoes

Stiff-soled shoes

Hard shoes are a type of dance footwear with rigid soles and heel and toe taps, used in Irish step dancing to produce percussive sounds.

The term distinguishes them from soft shoes (ghillies), which are worn for lighter, quieter dances: She switched from soft shoes to hard shoes for the treble reel.

Related

Irish dance · clogs · brogues · oxfords · loafers · polished · cobblestone · clicking · formal · stiff · black tie · wingtips · patent · laces · uncomfortable · break in · blisters · shine

Categories
Opposites
sole rigidity and cushioning

hard shoessoft shoes

Pliable, quiet footwear

sneakers · athletic shoes · running shoes · tennis shoes · trainers

formality and context of use

hard shoessneakers

Casual athletic footwear

casual shoes · trainers · athletic shoes · flip-flops · sandals

presence of footwear

hard shoesbare feet

barefoot · unshod · shoeless

Family

hard, shoe, harder, hardest, harden, hardened, hardening, hardness, hardly

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G