On one tragic sunny day in Pittsburgh, in the middle of an across the floor combo, a pop of an elastic signaled the beginning of the end for the life of my LaDucas. She was finally kicking the bucket. At the ripe age of four, my Alexis heels were finally on their way out. Contrary to popular belief, LaDucas do not last forever, which can be disheartening at their price point. Although, like any other dance shoe with a considerable amount of use the elastics on the side and in the center of the shoe (for the Alexis style) finally broke and the shank was starting to give out, making dancing occasionally wobbly, and therefore, a bit unsafe.

After asking around my school a bit, I had heard about a new character shoe that recently entered the market that was apparently comparable to the coveted LaDuca. I found a couple sites selling them, and after a brief bit of thought I decided to try them for myself, worst case scenario being I return them and spend more to get a new pair of LaDucas. I ordered mine off of dancesupplies.com, and they do qualify for free shipping, but do note that if you return with them, they take out the cost of shipping and you won't get all your money back (so maybe consider buying off a different site).

After a few days in the mail, I got a pretty basic USPS box in the mail containing this lovely purple box holding the American Movement "Julie" character shoes in the color "Tan". Upon first look, I'll definitely agree that the American Movement shoe looks almost identical to the LaDucas in the style "Teresa" (their most basic T-strap character shoe). The color was the same, the material was pretty much the same, the sole was the same, the heel shape was extremely similar, and actually the buckle was a bit nicer/sturdier looking.

The sides of the toe cup have a wide strip of elastic that allow for flexible movement of the foot, and again, if you put these next to a pair of LaDucas you really wouldn't be able to notice the different at first look. Additionally, the heel is a little chunkier than a LaDuca, which could be a pro or con. It might not be everyone's first choice aesthetically in terms of lines, but the wider heel may make it easier to dance on.

The bottoms also have a soft leather sole and the heel is rubberized.

Now, once I tried them on, unfortunately I could sense a bit of a difference. While 75% of the shoe fit absolutely like a normal LaDuca, it was only now that I realized the arch/side area was a bit off. Where the two cups meet the shank in the middle of the shoe, the two cups are connected further apart than a LaDuca is. For some people this may not be a huge deal breaker, but since I have slightly wider and flatter feet, I felt as if my foot wasn't secure enough for dancing, unlike my LaDucas that have closer connected cups and more support. I'm sure if I broke the shoes in more the leather would have stretched and the toe cup would fit better for my wider foot, but I still felt as if the shorter sides allowed for my feet to almost come out of the cup. I also realize the t-strap style is a little less supportive and I'm sure a dancer with narrower feet and a stronger point wouldn't have a problem with them at all. 

That being said, unfortunately I had to return them.

Brand: LaDuca

Price: $225+ (Depending on heel height and style)

PROs: 

- Comes in a variety of heel heights and styles

- The industry standard

- Closer cups/ more side support from the shoe

CONs:

- Price

- Shipping price (if you buy off their website, shipping is upward of $18)

Brand: American Movement

Price: $127.50

PROs:

- Price point (Almost half the price of LaDucas!)

- Comes with a free bag

- Look (Almost completely identical to LaDucas)

- Leather material

CONs:

- Less support on the sides

- Chunkier heel (Which may be a plus for some)

- Doesn't come in a variety of styles and heel heights

IN CONCLUSION:

The American Movement "Julie" character shoes are an excellent alternative to LaDucas if you truly cannot shell out the extra money, but want a very similar alternative. I don't suggest these for newer dancers or those with a wider or flatter foot, but they're definitely a great cost-effective alternative to LaDucas!

*This review was not sponsored by American Movement or LaDuca (although LaDuca if you're reading this, I adore your shoes)*