Antonio Pacelli

Antonio Pacelli — The Big Jig Shoe Study

Irish Dance Research · 2026

WELCOME 0 / 9

The Big Jig Shoe Study · 2026

Welcome to the most comprehensive jig shoe study ever conducted.

If you ever Irish danced — at any level, with any brand — your answers will go directly into the next generation of jig shoe design. We want to know what works, what doesn't, and what hasn't been built yet.

This takes about 8–10 minutes. There are no right or wrong answers. The most useful responses are the honest ones, including the uncomfortable ones.

Everyone who completes the survey gets 10% off any pair of Antonio Pacelli jig shoes as a thank-you, plus early access to the published findings.

Section 1 of 8

About you and your dancing

Quick context so we can read your later answers properly.

1.1 Are you the dancer, or buying for someone else?
1.2 What's your (or your dancer's) current competition level?
1.3 How old is the dancer?
1.4 Which country do you (or your dancer) primarily dance in?
1.5 How often do you (or your dancer) dance Irish hard shoe?

Section 2 of 8

Your current jig shoes

Tell us about the pair you (or your dancer) wear right now.

2.1 What brand and model are you currently wearing?
2.2 How long have you had your current pair?
2.3 What width fitting are they?
2.4 Overall, how satisfied are you with your current pair?

1 = very dissatisfied · 10 = couldn't be happier

Very dissatisfiedCouldn't be happier
2.5 What are the TWO things you love most about your current pair?

Anything: comfort, sound, looks, fit, durability, the way they make you feel on stage. Be specific.

2.6 What are the TWO things that frustrate you most about your current pair?

Be specific. The more detailed and honest the answers, the more useful the data.

2.7 Would you buy the same model again?

Section 3 of 8

Your previous jig shoes

Now the pair before that one. If your current pair is your first, select "I had no previous pair" on the first question and we'll skip ahead.

3.1 What brand and model were your previous jig shoes?
3.2 Why did you stop wearing them? (Tick all that apply.)
3.3 What were the TWO things you loved most about that pair?
3.4 What were the TWO things that frustrated you most about that pair?
3.5 Would you go back to that brand and model now if you could?

Section 4 of 8

Your wider history with jig shoes

A bit of context about the brands you've tried over time.

4.1 Roughly how many pairs of jig shoes have you (or your dancer) owned in total?
4.2 Which brands have you tried at any point in the past? (Tick all that apply.)
4.3 Are there any brands you've never tried but would consider? (Tick all that apply.)
4.4 Are there any brands you would NOT buy, and why? (Optional)

Be honest — answers in this question are kept internal and never published with brand names attached.

Section 5 of 8

What matters most when choosing

Now the decision criteria.

5.1 When choosing your next pair, how important are each of these features?

1 = not important · 5 = essential

Feature12345
5.2 Of all those features, what's the SINGLE most important one to you?
5.3 What's the most you'd be willing to pay for the perfect pair?
5.4 What's the lowest price at which you'd be willing to take a chance on an unfamiliar brand?
5.5 What single thing would make you switch jig shoe brands tomorrow?

"Better fit" is OK; "a wide-fit shoe with a softer leather upper that fits true to size" is more useful.

Section 6 of 8

Teacher and school influence

How much does your teacher steer your shoe choice?

6.1 How much influence does your teacher (or dance school) have on which jig shoes you buy?
6.2 Does your teacher (or school) actively recommend or sell a specific brand?
6.3 Have you ever gone against your teacher's recommendation on shoe choice?

Section 7 of 8

Discovery, purchase, and rental

How do you find new shoes, how do you buy them — and would you rent them first?

7.1 How did you discover or learn about your current pair? (Tick all that apply.)
7.2 Where did you buy your current pair?
7.3 What's the biggest barrier that stops you trying a new brand?

The next three questions are about a possible rental scheme — where you could rent a pair of jig shoes for a short period to try them before committing to a purchase.

7.4 If we offered a rental scheme, would you rent a pair before deciding whether to buy?
7.5 How long would you ideally want to rent a pair for?
7.6 How much would you be willing to pay to rent a pair for that period?

Section 8 of 8

The future of jig shoes

Three big questions — the heart of the study. Take your time.

8.1 If you could design the perfect pair of jig shoes from scratch, what would they have?

Think about: the look, the feel underfoot, the tip and heel clicks, the fit, the materials, the weight, the lifespan, the price. There are no wrong answers. The more specific the better.

8.2 What single feature do you wish jig shoes had that none of them currently offer?

Anything goes — from a tiny detail to a complete reinvention. Has anyone got something nearly right? What's the gap?

8.3 Anything else you want the industry to know? (Optional)

Anything we haven't asked about that matters to you.

Almost done

One last thing

These last two questions are optional. They let us send you the findings report, your 10% discount code, and contact you if we'd like to follow up.

9.1 Email address (optional)
9.2 Would you be willing to take part in a longer follow-up conversation?

Thank you!

Your answers are in. You've helped shape the next generation of jig shoes.

We'll publish the headline findings and send you early access when the report is ready. Here's your 10% discount code:

BIGJIGSHOE10

Use it at antoniopacelli.com on any pair of jig shoes.