Most of the big Spanish flamenco shoe stores will happily sell you shoes by mail order. They will ask you to send in an outline of your foot, the idea being that they can look at your foot and advise on the correct size. Unfortunately, I’ve known many people who ordered shoes this way and still didn’t get shoes that fit.

A better solution when you’re starting out, is to buy shoes locally first if you can find them. This may take some research, but you may be surprised by what is available. Ask other students—where did they get their shoes? Does the school have second-hand shoes for sale? Check your local dancewear shops, and even your local shoe shops. I found flamenco shoes in a shop that specialised in imported Spanish shoes, mixed in with fashionable sandals and street pumps. Or try eBay—you still can’t try them on, but if you buy them from a local supplier, at least the cost of returning them won’t be so high if you get it wrong.