Question

I think I got mine (for contra dancing, which I haven’t done in ages) from a Danskin store which used to be (may still be) in the Pru. You can order online at danskin.com, although that doesn’t get you the advice of a human salesperson.

Searching for Danskin in Boston, MA at maps.google.com found Boston Dancewear at 173 Massachusetts Ave. (and not much else).

Good luck!

Boston Dancewear, alas, is now an Army Navy shop. I'd try Teddy Shoes in Central Square.

Oh dang, that's the place I was going to suggest -- it's where I got mine.

If you do decide to order them online, know that character shoes tend to run small.

I got my swing dance shoes at dance4less.com, which is pretty inexpensive, and decent quality. They have a range of all sorts of shoes (ballroom, tap, ballet, etc) Teddy's Shoes in Central Square has a good selection and if you're at a loss about what to buy, they may be able to give you some guidance. They tend to be a bit pricy, but their stuff is high quality.

Payless is actually now selling dance shoes (tap, jazz, ballet). I bought tap shoes, thinking of taking tap.

Pro-tip: Stay away from the Rummos brand. They're actually very comfortable and good-looking, but they will fall apart in no time flat. Then again, if you won't be wearing them much, that might not be an issue.