Fays Dancing Shoes 16 Great Denmark Street, closed and shuttered shop in Dublin City Centre, Eire, Ireland

Fays Shoes, Handmade Irish Dance Footwear, have always believed in creating only the highest quality Irish dancing rootwear and are the worldwide leaders in the manufacture of high quality Irish dancing shoes. That was recognized in 1995 when we were chosen to be the original and official shoemakers of dancing shoes for Riverdance. Read more about our Riverdance story. The following newspaper article is taken direct from The Sunday Press, February 12, 1995 - https://www.fays-shoes.com/riverdance/ Eamon and Dan tap into the wonder of Riverdance by Tomas Conlon DAN Fay and his son Eamon are shoemakers to the stars. In a quiet workshop off Dublin's Parnell Square they have crouched for weeks over their lasts, making the dancing shoes that have clattered in spectacular rhythm at the Riverdance show which premiered Thursday night. Sixty-four-year-old Dan has been making shoes for nearly 50 years but his trade - like Irish dancing itself - came in from the margins at last year's Eurovision when Jean Butler and Michael Flatley tapped their way into the nation's heart. Ms Butler was wearing their handmade shoes that night, as were most of the backing dancers, and both Jean and Michael will be wearing them for the duration of the Riverdance Show. In addition, they have measured and fitted the Russian Cossack dancers with their shoes, along with the guest tap dancers from America and a host of the supporting performers. The Russians have also had their cossack dancing boots mended in the Fay workshop Dan and Eamon will also be present backstage each night of the Riverdance show to carry out running repairs on broken straps, loose heels and any other emergencies that might occur. Ms Butler's shoes in fact were rushed by courier to their workshop last Thursday for a repair job just hours before the curtain went up on the show. The shoes are made entirely from leather with a fiberglass tip at the toe and heel which produces that tap effect.