Inside the Rockettes’ 7 Pairs of Shoes That Power the Christmas Show

The Radio City Rockettes play a role in setting the tone for New York City‘s holiday season every year, but in 2025, there is even more attention on the precision dance group as it celebrates its 100th anniversary.

While best known for their flawless high kicks, the Rockettes also bring festive energy and uniformity to their wardrobe. At 90 minutes, the “Christmas Spectacular” encompasses nine numbers — featuring nine different outfits and seven different pairs of shoes, the latter of which are custom LaDuca or Capezio styles.

The dancers are on stage for most of the 90 minutes, explained fifth-season Rockette Jaclyn de Nicola. The New Jersey native grew up dancing with her sister and crossing the Hudson every year with her family to see the Rockettes — from the start of this tradition, she dreamed of becoming one herself.

“All of our costume changes are actually just as choreographed as our moves are on stage,” de Nicola said. “So backstage, there’s a whole village, a whole costume wardrobe team that’s there with dressers ready to help us.”

The myriad dance shoes, while maybe not the first thing audiences look to, play a major role in the show. Certain pairs, de Nicola shared, are hand-painted to match the skin tone of the individual Rockette, a mark of evolution for the dance group which welcomed its first African American dancer, Jennifer Jones, in 1987. In addition to shoes, tights are skin tone-matched as well, and de Nicola believes this attention to customization is “our most unique and special part of our whole costume look and experience.”

“It celebrates the individual,” de Nicola said. “Obviously, we are meant to be a precision line. That’s what we focus on. But more and more over the years, I feel like it is really evolved into something that celebrates the dancer and the person.”

Calling Jones “an icon” and “a trailblazer,” de Nicola spoke of “how much the line has grown since” Jones’ days. De Nicola explained that the change is largely attributed to the free conservatory program and preparatory program, which launched more than five years ago and has welcomed more than 500 dancers, including 70 dancers currently on the line.

“It encourages every kind of dancer to join, to learn the Rockettes’ iconic precision choreography,” de Nicola said. “It’s opened it up to so many dancers, and opened the doors to so many opportunities. And I think that’s really cool that we’re focused on that now. We’re celebrating the Rockettes of the past, people like Jennifer Jones, and we’re honoring them and looking forward to the future too.”

For several numbers, including “12 Days of Christmas,” the famous “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and “Rag Dolls,” the Rockettes dance with shoes featuring live tap mics at the base of the heel, meaning every tap sound heard during the show is happening then and there. This isn’t the first year the Rockettes have danced with mic’d up shoes, but the 100th year takes it to the next level with the implementation of Sphere Immersive Sound — the sound system used at Sphere in Las Vegas.

“We have over 7,000 new speakers in Radio City Music Hall,” de Nicola said. “That really brings you into this immersive element of the show — the sounds in our taps, the instruments, every note you hear is crisp and clearer than ever. So especially in that number, for the ’12 Days of Christmas,’ you’re really hearing those tap mics. Another fun fact is that they’re charged after every show, so we’re on a schedule that’s ready to go every time, but everything you hear is super live, and it’s happening right there.”

Other interesting footwear moments include a custom LaDuca boot crafted to represent reindeer hooves for the opening number “Sleigh Ride”; a Capezio split sole jazz sneaker covered by a leather spat made to look like a Santa Claus boot while still providing the arch support of a regular dance shoe for “Here Comes Santa Claus,” and custom hand-painted three-inch LaDuca heels hand-embellished with Swarovski crystals for the last three numbers.

Most numbers feature heels, typically measuring two-and-a-half inches, and the heel heights don’t vary from dancer to dancer, de Nicola shared. She went on to debunk a myth about the dancers’ height.

“Rockettes aren’t actually all the same height. It’s an illusion. It’s a common misconception that we are all the same height, but there is no height requirement…from the center of the line is the tallest girl, and then it gradually evens out toward the ends, so our least tall girls are on the ends.”

However, shoe customizations might include arch supports, which de Nicola benefits from, and the wardrobe team is ready to address any issues that come up. “Even if it’s mid-show, you’re like, ‘I need an adjustment or extra strap on my shoe’ — within the next show it’s done. We have the best team here, and they take the best care of us.”

When it comes to dancing in heels, de Nicola emphasized the importance of taking care of her feet and body. A daily ice bath for her feet after every show, for example, is key to her recovery regimen.

Reflecting on the best part of the job, de Nicola conveyed that she and her fellow dancers don’t take for granted the significance of being a part of the legacy of the longstanding dance company, which is so embedded in the culture of New York City.

The seasoned Rockette said, “You can just feel it within these walls, the rich history that it has. You can’t help but feel so grateful to be a part of something so historic, especially on the 100th year. It’s just never lost on us how important that is, and how important it is that we continue this legacy and continue this sisterhood, and allow it to evolve and grow in the ways that we all believe it can and does. So I just feel really lucky to be a part of that.”