Kobe is known for its leather and shoe craftsmanship, so I decided to go shoe shopping today. The boots I brought with me were great for the snow, but they weren’t exactly aesthetic. The insoles had also worn down quite a bit, and after days of urban exploration, I could feel the fatigue setting in.

I had already purchased a pair of insoles to help, but I wanted something more visually appealing—especially since I planned to go social dancing later that night.

Finding the Right Shoes

I checked out the shopping plaza at Umie Mosaic and started with a store that seemed to specialize in business and fashion shoes. Not exactly what I was looking for—I wanted something classic and versatile, a shoe that could work with both casual and semi-formal outfits.

The next shop, mâRe mâRe DAILY MARKET, had a wide selection of everyday footwear, from rain boots to sneakers. They even had a small winter sale section. I tried on quite a few pairs, but the sale section only had certain colors, and while I liked some of the styles, none of them really felt like a good match for everyday wear.

I finally settled on a pair of simple burgundy boots from the sale section. They cost around 4,000 yen (~$27 USD)—a steal for genuine leather boots. I also picked up a pair of shoes from their new collection, thinking it would be good to rotate between two pairs to give the insoles more time to recover.

I immediately put on my new boots and made my way to social dance night.

Finding My Rhythm at Dance Night

Back in the Bay, I was just starting to get into West Coast Swing (WCS). I had taken two sets of WCS classes, which added up to about three months of learning. Before that, I spent a year doing Lindy Hop, but WCS had really started to click with me. I wanted to find a way to stay connected to it while traveling.

The dance studio in Kobe was small and intimate. I was one of the first people to arrive. The entry fee included a drink, so I went with a lemon sour—only my second drink since arriving in Japan. I figured a little liquid courage might help ease my nerves.

The event wasn’t exclusively for WCS but a mix of WCS, bachata, salsa, and other Latin dances.

Struggling with the First Dances

Early in the night, I was invited to dance—but it was to a salsa song, and I struggled quite a bit. Most of the songs on the playlist weren’t WCS, which only made me feel more nervous and shy. Even when a WCS song played, I hesitated, too anxious to ask anyone to dance.

Then came a drunk but kind lady. She was full of energy, but also very sweet. She asked me where I was from and what dances I knew. When I told her I only knew WCS, she took it upon herself to introduce me to some of the men who also knew WCS and asked them to dance with me.

That small push helped me build some momentum. Eventually, I started to feel more comfortable and even began asking people to dance with me, even if it wasn’t WCS.

A New Dance Opportunity in Osaka

Later, I found out that the woman is part of a West Coast Swing club in Osaka that meets on Wednesdays. Originally, I had been thinking of skipping it—Osaka is about an hour away from where I’m staying. But after meeting her and appreciating how welcoming she was, I’m leaning towards going.

It’s moments like this that make me glad I’m putting myself out there, even when it feels intimidating.