A near extinct style, it was revived in Connemara in the mid 70′s and soon the younger generation in the form of Roisin Ni Mhainin and later Seosamh O Neachtain took up the style and popularised it among a wider and younger audience.

Sean Nós dancing is characterised by its ‘battering’ style of dancing, commonly danced in hard-sole shoes and where dancers create intricate rhythms but avoid high kicks, leaps and toe walks. Sean Nós Irish dancing hard shoes therefore need to have heavy leather soles so that on a wooden floor they give the best sound and match well with the acoustic instruments. They must not have a sharp or metallic tip so that the shoe is audible while not demanding they be the centre of attention.

INISHFREE’s traditional SET10 Irish dancing hard shoe continues to be very popular among female dancers who need a little height on the heel but who require a flat, sharp and crisp leather outsole. We have just launched a new Men’s style called MAKEM which features a traditional Gibson shoe and NEW discreet ‘Phenolic’ toe and heel tips for a richer sound.

All INISHFREE products are manufactured to a very high standard from our factory in Cootehill, Ireland and are a Guaranteed Irish product.

Loop Pomp from Inishfree Irish Dancing Shoes

Our INISHFREE Irish dancing shoes are polished and ready for their performances of the year as April 2012 is one of the busiest months for competitions in the Irish Dancing calendar.

An Comhdhail are hosting their first ever World Championships this year in Citywest in Dublin and An Coimisiun (CLRG) are in full swing at their World Championships at the Waterfront in Belfast.

These events are a celebration of the success and appeal of Irish dancing and they serve to unite the World’s finest dancers under one roof.  Such is the large interest in these international competitions, that live streaming, photography and commentary is now in serious demand for friends and family unable to make the trip!

We wish one and all the very best of luck in the World’s this weekend.

As a four part series the producers were a 3 week road trip around Ireland, highlighting the best of  the goods and services that we have to offer, and no doubt we were only too delighted to be asked!!

Presenter Manchán Magan (who arrived in an impressive DeLorean!)  interviewed Mr Martin Whelan on the step to step process of how our Irish Dance shoes are made.

It was a great day for all and after a factory tour the team retired to our local pub for a session of music and learning how to Irish dance in Manchán’s brand new Inishfree Irish heavy shoes.

We’ll keep you posted when the programme gets aired!!!

Mr Martin Whelan being interviewed for TG4

As worn by our very own Siobhan Phelan on SKY’s ‘Got To Dance’ we think the simplicity of her dress and the burst of colour on her feet is really beautiful.

We wonder if it is a sign of things to come.  Would you wear a pair of pink patent pair Irish Dancing Shoes or maybe even a green patent pair for St Patrick’s day??

We better get sewing…

Say goodbye to those plasters and hello to NEW EZeeFit Ankle Booties.  These tight fitting pull-on anti-blister Booties allow your foot to grip your footwear better, yet offer excellent protection from rubbing and blistering. These have been described a cross between sockless and wearing socks…

The anti-blister booties are so thin you will not notice you are wearing them.  We find that even runners, hill walkers, chefs, in fact anyone who is on their feet all day will benefit from the protection and warmth that the EZeeFit Ankle Booties provide.

Try them with your Irish Set Dancing Shoes or Irish Dancing Jig Shoes today!!!!

EZeeFit Ankle Booties

We divide our Irish pomps into 3 categories – beginners, intermediate and advanced to help dancers decide which pomp will suit them best.

For beginners our LOOP or EL POMP soft shoes are ideal for kids or casual dancers. They have a full leather outsole and full leather upper which makes them very durable. Note the El Pomp comes with side elastic loops for a tighter fit.

For intermediate or advancing dancers we are delighted to offer the NIAMH Irish dancing soft pomp. This pomp has a full black suede outsole which looks great and is super soft for lucid movement. It also has side loops for a better fit and a poron insole to protect soles for a softer landing.

Finally, our Professional or advanced pomp is the AOIFE Irish dancing soft pomp. This pomp is characterised by a split outsole which allows the pomp to be moulded so as to hug the arch of the foot. The beauty of the Aoife pomp is that it is flexible, enhances the foot and creates a beautiful elegant pointing of the toe.  Wear straight away as the soft leather requires no breaking in!

The Niamh versatile pomp

It’s success comes from a sustained commitment to using quality materials and a continuous dedication to on-going research and development.

We have posted a picture of one of our many talented personnel who has been with the factory since its development. You can see the LOOP Irish dancing soft pomp being shaped over the last and pleats being created at the toe area for a more refined and neater finish. 

We believe in being proud of what you wear and letting your feet do the talking! So follow our blog where Mr Martin Whelan MD of Whelan Shoes will be sharing over 40 years of his experience with hints and tips on choosing, buying, caring for and the upkeep of your Irish dancing shoes.

WE wish you all a happy New Year and good luck for 2012. Please keep posted for great information and helpful tips about Irish dancing shoes from Inishfree!!!

ProFlex Irish Hard Dance Shoes

We have just released a new hard dance shoes.

The Pro Flex is Inishfree’s NEWEST Championship jig shoe. It is a superior world class shoe suitable for all competitive and open dancers. It has a dynamically NEW shorter high density fiberglass toe tip and an outstanding New ‘Hi-Tec’ fibre heel for louder clicks and crisp heel drops.

The tip is squared off for toe stands and the heel has a slight inner curve to ensure precise and louder clicks. The Pro Flex is finished off with a black suede outsole.

Comes highly recommended by Inishfree.