Internationally professional tap dance star and Emmy Award-winning choreographer Jason Samuels Smith knows a thing or two about tap — as well as the footwear specifications needed to create an impact — which is why we were thrilled to have him on board to help design and test the Jason Samuels Smith Black Patent Tap Shoes!

This opulent, Oxford-style tap shoe is inspired by a deeply rooted adoration for this famous dance genre, truly capturing the ‘soul’ of tap. Offering a multitude of expert technical features — including full build up, triple stacked heel and double stacked hard leather outsole for durability — the Jason Samuels Smith Black Patent Tap Shoe enables dancers to experience unparalleled quality, surreal sound and ultimate comfort every time they toe-tap.

As with all BLOCH’s range, comfort was a key consideration during the design process. Crafted from soft grain leather, the Jason Samuels Smith Black Patent Tap Shoe boasts an innovative canvas and Kashmir lining, providing supreme comfort and durability.

“I love every part of the Jason Samuels Smith Black Patent Tap Shoe!” Smith explains. “From the interior, which is very soft and plush, to the build-up, which is something that is not necessarily standard with other tap shoes.”

“I love the fact that the product has a very distinct tone and sounds different because of the size of the taps and the build-up, which help develop the sound and the tone of the taps," he added. "The sound is very unique, and yet it’s such a comfortable shoe to wear, I could literally tap all day in these!”

Smith, who was heavily involved throughout the design and testing processes, adores the surreal sound of the shoes, which have been engineered to achieve maximum tap plate contact with a flat surface. Wearers can experience exquisite depth and pitch of sound thanks to a steel resonance plate between the tap and leather outsole.

There’s no better feeling than dancing in your new pair of tap shoes for the first time, right? And with the Jason Samuels Smith Black Patent Tap Shoe you won’t have to wait. Offering very little break-in time, this tap shoe can be worn almost immediately after purchasing, with full build up straight out of the box.

A shorter break-in time compared to a conventional built up tap shoe is created with counter free toe box, so the upper conforms to the foot for extra comfort and fit.

The shoe also boasts technically advanced, durable taps with specially developed metal bonding procedures, to prevent the screws which hold the taps in place from coming loose without modification by the dancer.

“It’s a very durable shoe and the break in time is so short — you can literally pull them out of the box and start dancing in them right away,” Smith agrees. “There was a lot of craftsmanship that went into this shoe to make it especially sturdy — most other tap shoes put their toe tap on so that it comes to just about where the BLOCH symbol is, but here there’s an extra inch of tap. The tap also stretches all the way from edge to edge.”