Review | Hong Kong-invented electronic tap shoes take first steps in imaginative dance performance

Time will tell if the shoes, created in Hong Kong and used in the dance performance The Next Movement, will spur a major evolution for tap

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Instead of metal plates attached to the soles, Step Out Studio’s electronic tap shoes are equipped with sensors through which the steps produce electronically generated sounds. Photo: Step Out Studios

Published: 5:45pm, 24 Nov 2025Updated: 8:01pm, 24 Nov 2025

The Next Movement is a dance performance designed to introduce Hong Kong tap dance group Step Out Studios’ new electronic tap shoes.

Instead of the usual metal plates attached to the soles to produce different sounds with different steps, the shoes are equipped with sensors to become “step-sensing devices”, through which the steps produce electronically generated sounds.

The idea was born during the Covid-19 pandemic, when dancers stuck at home were unable to practice tap without disturbing their neighbours. In 2023, a development project entitled “The Future Step” was launched, supported by government funding.

The show begins with a film about the development project, followed by an introduction from Step Out’s Zoe Chan and Cal Tang, who explain how the shoes work and how the audience should use the wireless headphones provided to get the full effect of the new technology.

A scene from Playtime, one of the segments in The Next Movement. Photo: Step Out Studios

It is clear that a huge amount of time, effort and dedication has gone into developing the shoes and creating this first live performance to showcase them. The enthusiasm of Step Out’s young team is appealing, their passion for the project palpable and their ambition impressive. It is also good to see the government funding local artistic innovation.

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