There is no particular dancewear, other than “relaxed brazilian style”!
As it gets very hot, the best bet is to wear clothes and shoes from breathable and light materials. Any summer gear will do, but if you are looking for something special, many venues and festivals sell their own cotton t-shirts.
Girls may want to find a flowing skirt to show off their hip movements, like one of those layered skirts.
The shoes
The only tricky part is shoes for the forrozeiras (=girls who dance forró!). Since the followers mostly dance on tiptoes, it is really important to have comfortable shoes that will support the sole of the foot and not slip off the heel. Shoes with heels common in other latin dances are not used, mostly due to the style of dancing but also because it can get dangerous in crowded dancefloors. Any flat shoes that will not slip off your feet are good: sandals, ballerina pumps, Toms, light trainers… But if you plan to invest in dedicated shoes, here’s some of the most common options.
Jazz-dance shoes
Some girls opt for jazz-dance type of shoe found in most dance stores or online. While they are comfortable and provide a great option, in my opinion the sole is too thin and doesn’t provide sufficient cushion for the foot. They are also a bit fragile and get damaged when dancing in bars or other rough surfaces, which ends up being a bit costly…
Moleca – the basic of forró
You will see many girls wearing simple, often black shoes with a strap. They are the staple used by many forrozeiras in Brazil, and for a good reason. The flexible fabric minimises the frictions on the toes, the sufficiently thick sole and inside padding support the foot, the adjustable ankle strap maintains the shoe in place. These cheap and sturdy classics manufactured by the Brazilian brand Moleca are hard to find in stores outside of Brazil; your best bet in to check out the collection on forrostore.com
Want to be different, fashionable, or create your own forró shoe collection to fit your different outfits and moods? Check out the following suggestions tried and tested by fellow forró dancers:
Ankle-strap back
Ankle-strap flowery
Moleca-style cute and flowery shoes – also very comfortable with an elastic ankle strap and a good squishy sole. Order a size above yours as these tend to be a little tight.
Melissa and similar brands: the nice-smelling plastic shoes fashionable in Brazil (and now everywhere), are actually astonishingly comfortable for dancing. They exist in various models, colours and can be tied to the foot to avoid slipping off. They tend to heat a bit under the toes after several hours of dancing, but overall it works well!
Black Melissa
Zaxy Milkshake
Another, more personalised option, is to get custom-made shoes from a Brazilian forró shoe maker (she is also a forró dancer). You then get to choose from a myriad or colours and styles. They are now also available on forro-store.com. Check it out!
