I received this email this morning and thought you’d all like to know about it:
“I think that the double or jingle taps are worn by the people that do White Shoe Clogging, which is more related to line-dancing and cheer-leading. Our style of clogging is related to the West Virginian Flat Footing/Buck Dancing, where traditionally they wore hard soled shoes without any taps on. When I went to Cliff Top Festival when we were over they said that taps were only introduced when PA Systems started to amplify the bands so that the feet could be heard over the amplified music – the taps were just there to make the sound louder rather than to change the sound (which double, jingle taps do). I guess that is why we all wear single taps – makes for a more accurate reproduction to the sound the foot makes when it hits the floor.”
(This was an e-mail I received from my Wisconsin friend who forwarded it to me from the Firestone group from England. What do the rest of you think about the difference in taps, single versus double? Hit “comments” to reply!)