Dancewear trend: warm up booties

This slipper-like boot from Bloch is all the rage as the weather cools down.  Dancers of all styles know it's important to have warm, supple feet before hitting the studio or the stage.  The swishy polyester outer, nylon inner lining, and fluffy poly filling work together to keep the feet toasty in the same way a down quilt works to keep you warm in bed.

Warm up booties can be worn over bare feet, socks, or any dance shoes without heels (including pointe shoes).  In addition to keeping the feet warm, they protect the shoes and the floor from damage like scratches and scrapes.

In general, these boots come in red, purple, dark blue, and gray.  Some special edition colors like the light pink shown above are available, but they won't be around for long.  The warm up booties retail for between $36 and $45 for adult sizes (sometimes children's sizes are available too, they start at $31).

If you can't shell out that much for a warm-up bootie, thick socks or boot-like house slippers can work too.  They provide warmth and coverage in the same manner.  However, fabric socks and slippers don't last as long as the polyester boots.