Best Self-Care Gift Ideas for Dancers

Dance is all adrenaline and feel-good hormones! That's how it feels while we're dancing, but later we feel the soreness in our core, feet, back, legs and shoulders. We forget that we can aid our body with just a little self-love. Here are some of the must-have, everyday goodies for dancers to keep dancing! Bundle these as a complete gift bag for your favorite dancer - and yourself 😉

PS I've bought and tested almost all of these items, so you're getting the real scoop from a real dancer. In the few cases here where a distributor stopped selling it, I offer a different distributor for the same product.

1. Noise canceling ear plugs

Huh? Huh? What did you say? Before you go deaf, take some action. My friend got me the discreet noise-canceling "Loop" ear plugs, one of the brands promoted heavily on Amazon. Once you start wearing noise canceling ear buds, you'll realize just how much relief you needed! You can dance the night away without experiencing that weird underwater deafness two hours after you've left the club. There are many different competing brands that you can try, and of course, there's always the cheapest and stylish 🤪 bright foam ear plugs.

2. Suede stick-on bottoms for shoes

Caution: you can kill your knees slowly if you're wearing sneakers to dance. I'm talking to men and women. Dance sneakers can be very expensive, though and sometimes you're just in love with your sneakers and you want to keep dancing in them.

Solution: stick on adhesive suede bottom onto your sneakers!

That's the self-care angle, but this is also an excellent solution for street heels. I've got several street heels that I'd love to wear in a dance studio, but the owners prohibit street heels to avoid scratching up the floor.

Replacing a floor is a costly endeavor and the easiest way to ensure the life of your precious dance floor is to prohibit street shoes. This is a great workaround.

There are distributors that sell pre-cut and whole sheets that you can cut yourself. This is the only thing on this gift list for dancers that I've not used myself, but the adhesive is by 3M. I trust that!

3. Foot bath

Yes, your feet are worth it. There are a few styles and a wide difference in price points out there, but basically at the end of the night you'll want a bucket where your feet actually fit and maybe a built-in massage tool. I bought this collapsible foot bath at TJ Maxx but there are similar models on Amazon, from very rudimentary collapsible buckets to more elaborate ones with heating. Note that electronics and water don't go very well together so pay attention to the reviews 😉 Keep your expectations reasonable.

Collapsible foot baths are not a big luxury. You won't regret soaking your feet after dancing!

4. Epsom salt foot bath 

A good friend of mine and Kizomba instructor, Davidson, seemed to be able to dance without problem until 5am, teach during the day, and then dance until 5am the next night all over again!

Q: His secret to healing sore feet?          A: Epsom salt foot soak!

Epsom salts in lavender for relaxing and eucalyptus/mint to invigorate your feet.

Davidson swears by it and after personally testing it out, that little TLC sure makes your feet happy again! This combo has lavender for relaxing at night, and eucalyptus & mint for revitalizing and starting your day with energy.

Pair that with a foot bath and you'll feel like new!

5. Happy feet bath rug

I call this my happy feet rug. Pictured it's in the shower, but I have it at the foot of my bathroom sink so my feet get a happy massage every time I step there during my day. Ever heard of reflexology? Well, the rubber spikies on this rug get all those reflexology points - oh yeah! No one is selling this one anymore on Amazon, but below are a few alternative styles.

This constant massage feels so good that it's tempting to take it up a notch and get one of these:

6. Back ache and neck knots? Racquetballs really work!

You won't believe how simple this hack is. A physical therapists recommended years ago that I use a racquetball ball to knead out any knots in my back and neck at home. If you have any major injuries please consult with your own physical therapist on this one before trying!

How to: place the racquetball on the floor and lay down on top of it, wherever your knot is. When you find the center of the knot, relax your weight onto it. Just breathe and hold there until you feel the pain dissipate. Then roll onto the ball slowly and repeat to relax the muscles around the knot.

Racketballs are amazingly effective in kneading out knots and soreness in the back and neck.

It is not superfluous to say that such a small and simple object does an amazingly effective job of honing in on the knot, getting the kinks out and relieving the pain. Many people have attested to the same. Without having to use any more pressure than that of your own weight, you will forever have one wherever you go. It is portable, after all.

7. Arch support & insoles

If you're dancing or physically active in any way, arch support cushions are a must! I personally bought these and love them because they are covered in a soft material, which feels great and doesn't make my feet to sweat like other gel pads that don't have that covering. The only downside is that the glue doesn't hold for long on certain materials, so you could supplement with super glue when the original glue wears off. Overall, a great buy, though! This pack comes in various colors to match different shoe colors.

The best arch support!

Cloth sleeve with a gel pad to reduce pain in ball of foot.

Foot pads to alleviate metatarsalgia (pain in the metatarsals and balls of your foot). Again, I love that these gel pads are in a cloth sleeve. They have different sizes and I've found them great in my day-to-day dance classes. Note: dancers with wide feet may not find that these fit comfortably.

Gel insole covered in a fuzzy, comfy material supports the ball of the foot and arch.

There's also the all-in-one for heels! They cushion the ball of your foot, they have an arch support cushion and it's long enough that it extends to the heel of your foot. It sticks to your shoe with a thin strip of glue. I like that it's fabric and that the gel pad isn't directly on the skin (which doesn't absorb the sweat). Note, again, these are small, meant for size 5-7 as per the listing description.

8. Dance bags and totes

Keep your dance essentials in a handy dance tote bag. Forming habits helps you in all aspects of life, so form the habit of keeping all of your dance stuff in a bag that shows how much you love to dance! 100% cotton, so it's biodegradable and guilt-free. The one above has a drawstring and can be worn like a bookbag.

This canvas tote bag above has a shoulder strap.

Or check out this fanny pack with a dance logo. Great for when you're dancing and want to keep your cell phone and cards on you.

Bookmark this list. It makes the best "gift basket" for a dancer for their birthday, Christmas or any celebration!