JumpStart Guide
Accessories: Elastics, Buckles & More
Elastics
There are two different types of elastics: thick and thin. Both are elastic circles that help keep your hardshoe snug to your foot. Thick elastics are smaller than the thin ones. Some dancers wear the thick elastics around their ghillies as well.
To put on the thick elastics, slip them on over your shoe and pull them up as far as you can. On the bottom of your shoe, the elastic should be touching your heel. On top, the elastics should be over your laces and the strap.
Putting on the thin elastics are a little bit trickier. First, slip your foot through the elastic. Then grab the front of the elastic and twist it so that it crosses in front of your ankle, like a figure eight. Take the front loop (not the loop that is around your ankle) and slip it over your toe so that it lies against the arch of the sole of your shoe, near the heel. Then grab the elastic (back of the loop that is around your ankle) that is at your heel and pull it tightly so there is no slack. Take this and twist it like you did for the other loop. Pull it down and over the heel of your hardshoe. Adjust to make it comfortable, and repeat on the other foot.
Buckles
There are quite a few different types of buckles. Wearing buckles is up to the dancer; most dancers I know don’t wear them in competition, but they're popular for shows.
Your basic shapes are rectangle and shamrock. They can come in gold or in silver, with black in the middle to blend in with your hardshoes. Silver is the most popular color. If you do not want black, then you can find buckles with colored middles, such as blue, red, or purple. You can now also buy rhinestone buckles in a variety of shapes.
To put on your buckles, one option is to unlace your hardshoes until the first or second grommets/holes. From here, slip your laces through the metal part at the back of the buckles, crossing them over to the other side. Then continue to lace them into the next holes. For more security, cross the laces once more through the buckles, and then finish lacing your hardshoes.
However, I like to lace them in another way which offers more stability. I take the lace completely out of my shoe, and thread it through the back of the buckle. I then lace it through the first/lowest grommets/holes of the shoes. I then thread them through the higher holes, thread them again through the buckles, thread them through the third gromments (the third is optional, as it pulls the bottom lace up and you may not like that), lace them again through the buckle, and then finish lacing up my shoes. This way, it’s secure and the buckle lays nicely on the shoe.
More
Visit the following sites for more accessory information: