damn rbb beat me to telling the reebok/royal story! but what he said is true, since reebok took over royals have not been of the same quality. reeboks across the board are generally a piece of shit (i work in a sports shoe store) that always get returned.
nikes are often in the same boat, cos for shoes like Presto's they make em light, but not tough. that's ok cos they replace em if they're faulty, but it IS a hassle.
if you want tough shoes, then skate shoes ARE the go. skaters are prolly the hardest on shoes, scraping on concrete, banging on decks, rails and all that skater shite. skate shoes also have really tough soles which is good for skaters, but i like a little more flex and give in my shoes for dancing.
in my experience Converse last really well and are really comfy. i've been happy with the couple of pairs i've had, but haven't really danced in them.
my preferred shoes to dance in are "proper" runners. i have a pair of Adidas runners that are basically a running shoe but with some funky velcro shit covering the laces, and swirly blue and white patterns. they're light, have excellent cushioning and reasonable support. my other fav pair are my New Balance 803's. it's a trail running shoe so it has a really tough outsole, and tough upper (much tougher than most runners). it also has good cushioning (heel and forefoot). i really need cushioning cos i tend to bounce a lot when dancing. the disadvantage of runners is they sometimes have too much grip, and durability can be an issue with some models.
i'm looking forward to getting some Brooks Trance runners (top of the Brooks line). they retail at $259.95 but i get 'em MUCH cheaper
heaps of cusioning, heaps of support, they look cool, and they're called "Trance". mmm.... what more could i want?
oh yeah, i'm a full shoe addict. yay!
