Which Cheer Shoes Should I get?     

We often receive questions about the cheer shoes we sell, particularly from mums buying for their daughters. To make the selection process easier, we’ve put together this blog to help mums choose the perfect cheer trainers for their daughters.

 

What are the Best Cheer Shoes?    

There isn’t a single "best" cheer shoe—it all depends on various factors, with the most important being your daughter's cheerleading level. Is she just starting out, or has she been training for a year or more, mastering routines, exercises, and stunts while progressing through the levels? Choosing the right cheer shoes means selecting a pair suited to her stage of cheerleading development. Often your club will recommend certain shoes they like children to wear.

Our shoes breakdown into the following levels of Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced.

            Beginner Cheer shoes: Cheerful , Tumble  or Nike Sideline

            Intermediate Cheer shoes:  Zenith, Stellarlyte and Vengeance

            Advanced Cheer Shoes (Flyer)   Vengeance or Flyte

What makes Cheer Shoes Different?   

Like any sports shoe, cheer shoes are designed for comfort, support, and performance. They need to fit securely, providing the right balance of flexibility, shock absorption, and stability to help cheerleaders perform at their best. The level of cheerleading plays a crucial role in determining the right shoe.

• Beginner cheer shoes tend to have a thicker sole and more padding for extra support, making them slightly heavier but ideal for those still developing their skills.
• Advanced cheer shoes, especially for flyers (the athletes lifted or thrown into the air for twists and somersaults), are incredibly lightweight with a glove-like fit, allowing for maximum agility and ease of movement.

Whatever you do, avoid thick-soled white fashion trainers or thin dance shoes like jazz shoes—these are not designed for the demands of cheerleading and won’t provide the necessary support or durability for stunts, jumps, and tumbling. Running, gym, and shoes for other sports should also be avoided.

Cheer shoes with Colour Inserts

Cheer shoes aren’t just designed for safety—they also look great and can often be coordinated with your cheer uniform. Some styles, such as Tumble and Cheerful, come with interchangeable colour inserts, allowing you to customise your shoes to match your team’s colours. This added touch of personalisation helps create a polished, unified look while ensuring you have the right footwear for performance and support - and they are FUN!.

Good quality cheer shoes will last a season and beyond - even if they are worn for both practice nights and regular competitions, but they should not be worn outside or for other acitivities, the soles will hold dirt and could mark thje floor or mats that cheerleaders practioce on.

Why are cheer shoes white?

Cheer shoes are traditionally white because they provide a clear contrast against the floor or mat during practice and competitions. This makes it easier for coaches and judges to assess whether a squad is performing in perfect synchronisation and if each cheerleader’s foot placement is correct during routines. The bright white colour also helps maintain a clean, uniform look, reinforcing the precision and discipline that cheerleading demands.

White cheer shoes also tend to match the white flashes of colour in cheer uniforms and make a pleasing match. 95% of all cheer shoes are white!

What size cheer shoes should I get?

At Living Cheer, we stock four leading cheer shoe brands: Kaepa, Zephz, Nike Sideline, and Nfinity. When choosing the right size, it's important to consider how each brand fits:

• Kaepa and Zephz fit true to size.
• Nfinity and Nike tend to run slightly small, so we recommend ordering half a size larger than your normal street shoe size.

If you're buying beginner cheer shoes, you can opt for half a size larger to allow for some growing room. and if your daughter was a wider foot then "standard" go up half a size. However, for intermediate and advanced cheerleaders, the shoes should fit snugly and true to size—you don’t want any looseness when flipping and tumbling across the mat or floor.

For flyers, a glove-like fit is essential. Their shoes should be slightly tight to ensure they stay securely in place while being lifted, thrown, and caught mid-air. A well-fitted shoe helps maintain control and precision during stunts.

Where to buy cheer shoes

The cheer club your daughter attends may have specific recommendations for the brand or style of cheer shoes required for training and performances. Some clubs prefer a uniform look, while others allow you to choose the most suitable pair based on your needs.

At Living Cheer, we have over 20 years of experience in selling cheer shoes. We stock all the major cheer shoe brands and the most popular styles, ensuring you have access to high-quality footwear designed for performance and safety. Our team is always happy to provide expert advice on fit, style options, and delivery.

We pride ourselves on our outstanding customer reviews and offer a hassle-free returns system for exchanges or refunds. If the shoes don’t fit, simply return them, and we’ll send out a new size once we receive the original pair—so you can shop with confidence.