Shoe Bag Must-haves for Tango Dancers

Social dancers, like those who dance Argentine tango and salsa, know that their shoe bag doubles as a survival and first aid kit. Here are the top 10 things you should always have in your bag:

1. Mints. Trust me, you don't want to run out of mints (or gum) at the milonga or dance party. You also want to have enough to share with partners who may not have planned ahead as well as you.

2. Anti-friction Blister Balm or blister prevention cream. Protect your feet and prevent blisters before they happen.

3. Foot powder - preferably a cooling powder like Gold Bond Foot Powder or All About Feet Cooling Foot Powder.

4. Corkscrew - so many events are Bring Your Own Bottle (BYOB), but corkscrews always end up in short supply. Keep one handy in your bag.

5. Change of hosiery if you're wearing stockings.

6. Deodorant (if you smoke, hair deodorizing powder can be helpful as well.)

7. Hand sanitizer - gel sanitizer is common, but towlettes can be easier to pack in your bag since they're lighter, and there's very little risk of the package leaking.

8. Pain reliever.

9. Folding fan. Every single milonga I've been too has gotten too hot and stuffy at some point in the evening. You can get great folding fans in paper and cloth at most Asian grocery and gift shops.

10. Facial tissue or handkerchief. Rule of the milonga: there will never be a tissue when you need one. Ever.

Plus a few more helpful options:

- Whenever you can, bring spare shoes. Lower heeled or comfort shoes would be the best choice in spare shoes. But even shoes that just fit differently can provide much needed relief to tired feet.
- Racquetball or tennis ball. A doctor recommended this for foot cramps and works great.

- Arnica gel or Biofreeze Pain Reliever roll-on for bruised and better feet.

- If your shoes are patent leather - pack a tub of petroleum jelly to keep them from sticking to each other. For suede-botttomed shoes especially, a sole brush.

- Business cards, scratch paper and a pen. Finding a spare piece of paper to exchange contact information can be next to impossible at the milonga, so keep a few cards in your purse or your shoe bag.