Gift Ideas for the Zouk Dancer In Your Life
Do you have a special someone in your life who is zouk-obsessed, but you don’t know enough about the dance to have any good guesses about what to gift them?
We got you covered with a whole slew of ideas, with options to fit every budget:
Fun Socks
Price Range: $2-$20
I may be projecting my own sock-appreciation with this one (I personally own three different pairs of sloth socks alone…) - but who wouldn’t love a fun pair of socks to perk them up when they’re putting on their dance shoes?
If you’re on a budget, I’ve seen cute/funny socks at Target for just $1.50 per pair. Otherwise, you can pretty much Google “thing-your-giftee-likes socks” and find socks with literally anything on them. Heck, there are even companies that will put your (or your pet’s) FACE on socks.
Taygras/Fuegos
P.S. Use our discount code AMOZOUK10 to save 10% on your next pair of Fuego shoes!
Price Range: $80-$110
Taygra and Fuego are arguably the most popular brands of zouk shoes - they are the ones you’ll see the most of on the dance floor. For better or for worse, they are more of the “high end” of dance shoe options ($80-$110), meaning some dancers would be hesitant to buy them for themselves - but that’s what can make these such a meaningful and impactful gift!
I actually have 2 pairs of Taygras, and just recently got a pair of low-top Fuegos, and love them all. At some point I’ll write a blog post comparing the two - but a good general guess on which would be a better choice would be:
Do you prefer being able to “feel the floor” with your feet when you dance (ex. dance in socks, or minimalist/light shoes like jazz shoes or canvas ballet slippers)? Choose Taygras.
Do you prefer more structure/support for your feet when you dance (ex. dance in old sneakers)? Choose Fuegos
“Nice” (Comfortable) Dance Clothes
Price Range: $30-$100
OK, ok - so buying someone clothes can be a bit tricky if you don’t feel confident in their personal style, BUT if you do, they can be a thoughtful choice!
Vuori makes the most obscenely soft clothes, it’s becoming a popular brand among zoukers. Both Nate and Mike are Vuori converts, regularly wearing their most insanely soft shirts known to humankind at socials (these shirts are basically guaranteed to get compliments by anyone who touches them - they are that soft). I have a pair of Vuori leggings I was gifted that are also crazy comfortable (and I’ve tried on their joggers as well, and can confirm those are super soft too). The catch is Vuori is luxury-athleisure priced ($54 for a men’s T shirt, $94 for women’s joggers) - it ain’t cheap!
For less crazy-expensive options, look for fabrics that are moisture-wicking (we zoukers sweat a lot…). I’ve heard great things about bamboo as a comfortable and sweat-friendly option (like Onno shirts), but personally haven’t tried them yet.
Private Lesson
Price Range: $60-$200
Whether your dancer is a total newbie or has been dancing for years, a private lesson with an instructor can be a great way to accelerate their learning. When it comes to privates, you’ve basically got two options:
Use a local instructor (the easiest to coordinate)
Use a traveling instructor who will be teaching at an event (weekender, zouk festival) your dancer will be attending
Of course booking a local instructor is often the easiest logistically (and typically cheaper). But if you know your dancer is excited to be going to a certain congress/festival/weekender, you can snoop the lineup of who is teaching. Note - if you want to go the festival route, be warned that professional traveling instructors typically charge $100-$200 per hour, so if you don’t already know one that your dancer likes, it’d probably be worth it to just ask!
Foot Massage And/Or Pedicure
Price Range: FREE!-$50
There is nothing more magical than getting a foot massage and some TLC for the tootsies after a long weekend of dancing.
Best of all, this is something you can treat your partner to for FREE (if you have a relationship where it isn’t weird to swap foot rubs…).
The Minimalist DIY Route:
Even if you’ve never given a foot massage before, I promise you can pull this off. This can be a lazy massage with your partner’s feet in your lap on the couch without any lotion, or you can have them actually lie down on a bed, throw a towel under their bare feet (to protect the sheets), and grab some massage lotion/oil and go to town. Here are two videos if you need a little guidance:
The Slightly More Upscale DIY Route:
Now if you want to make your foot massage more special, you can treat your partner to a DIY foot care pedicure:
Soak - Fill a large bin (5 gallon bucket or large plastic bin works great) with enough hot water to cover your partner’s feet and ankles. Throw in some epsom salts if you want to be fancy. (Alternatively, you could use a bathtub, but a bin is nice because you can have your partner sit in a comfier chair and not just perch on the edge of the bathtub). Soak the feet for 5-10 minutes.
Scrub (optional) - Pull one foot out and give it a nice rubdown with a foot scrub (something like this or there are a zillion DIY foot scrub recipes you can make with basically oil + sugar or salt). Scrub a dub that foot for about a minute, then place back in the soaking water and switch feet.
Callus removal (optional) - If you are feeling brave, you can use a pumice or essentially a foot file (this is what I use because it’s gentler than the “microplane” style callus removers which can take off too much skin - ouchy), to GENTLY file away any calluses on the ball of the foot, toes, or heel. Dry off the foot with a towel before doing callus work.
Massage! - Towel off one of the feet and give your partner a 5-15 min massage on that foot (I definitely recommend using lotion since the foot will be slightly damp and you want your hands to be able to gliiiide. Don’t neglect the ankle and the calf! Once your partner is about to fall asleep, switch feet.
The Pay-a-Professional Route:
Maybe you don’t have a it’s-cool-for-me-to-touch-your-feet relationship with your giftee, or maybe you just want to leave the foot stuff to the pros. You can Google local manicure/pedicure salons near you and pick one that has some good reviews. OR you could go the Groupon route and see if there’s anywhere nearby that offers foot reflexology type massage.
Full Body Massage
Price Range: $60-$150
OK, I take back what I said about the foot massage being the most magical thing after a weekend of dancing - the only thing that has that beat is a full body massage.
Of course, this is also something you can DIY for your partner if you are enterprising enough (and you have a massage-friendly relationship with them).
If you’re going the professional route, depending on where you live and the type of massage studio you’re looking at, an hour-long massage could run anywhere from $60-$150, so do a little shopping around to find someplace that’s in your budget.
Are You A Zouker? What GIft WOuld Make You Be Excited to Receive?
A night off from parenting duty? Having your partner come to a class with you? Share your ideas in the comments below!
