Irish Soft Shoe sterling silver bead charm .925 Ireland Dancing Shoes

This is a perfect sterling silver bead charm of an Irish styled soft Dance shoe. With straight backs, still arms and feet that seem to fly, Irish dancers are a thrilling sight. This sterling silver charm captures one of the key pieces of their kit, the ghillie, with its distinctive open criss-cross lacing finely detailed in silver. Ghillies are the soft shoes worn by female Irish dancers. They’re made from thin, flexible black leather with no heel, so dancers can rise high onto their toes, spring into the air and land almost without a sound. The long laces wrap around the foot and ankle in a lattice pattern, which keeps the shoe snug through every leap and turn. Ghillies are worn for the light, graceful dances such as the reel, the slip jig and the light jig. Heavier hard shoes are kept for the percussive treble jig and hornpipe. Irish dance has a long and proud history. Around the 1700s, wandering dancing masters taught steps across rural Ireland, often in exchange for food and lodging. Competitive dancing grew as part of the Gaelic revival of the late 19th century, and today young dancers compete at feiseanna all over the world. Global interest exploded after Riverdance appeared at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, followed by shows such as Lord of the Dance. Made from solid 925 sterling silver, this ghillie charm is a heartfelt gift for any Irish dancer. It’s perfect for marking a first competition, moving up a grade, winning a trophy or a lifetime of dancing, and it’s a lovely St Patrick’s Day gift too. Add it to a charm bracelet as a reminder of every practice, every performance and the pride of Irish tradition.