Chicago Footwork (Juke)

Street clothes you can sweat in and move fully in: joggers, sweats or loose jeans in thin denim, a tee or hoodie, layers you can shed. The one hard rule at most studios is a dedicated indoor sneaker that has never been worn outside — grit tracked in from the street scratches marley and wrecks the floor for everyone. For breaking, add a flat vulcanized sole (Sambas, Chucks, Gazelles) rather than a cushioned running shoe, cover your knees and elbows, and skip slick nylon or heavy zippers that catch on the floor. Long hair tied back, and take rings and bracelets off before floorwork.

Jams, cyphers and club nights have no dress code — you dance in what you would wear on the street, and that is the point of the form. Practical constraints only: clean sneakers you can pivot and drop in, nothing so oversized that a judge or the circle can't read your movement, and pockets emptied before you go to the floor. Bring a second shirt if you plan to be in the cypher all night.

Battles and championships (Red Bull BC One, Juste Debout, World of Dance, the Olympic breaking format) generally have no prescribed costume — dancers wear their own street look or crew kit, and personal style is part of what gets judged. Practical rules do apply: a visible competitor bib or number, nothing that can fall off mid-round, and shoes that won't mark the stage. Breakers competing in power moves usually add a spin beanie or headspin cap and taped wrists.

Flat, thin, minimally cushioned soles — vulcanized rubber rather than a built-up foam or air heel. Adidas Sambas and Gazelles, Converse Chuck Taylors, Puma Suedes and Vans are the perennial choices because you can feel the floor through them and pivot on the ball of the foot without the sole grabbing. Running shoes are the common beginner mistake: the raised heel and aggressive tread lock the foot mid-turn and blunt every slide and glide. Whichever pair you choose, keep it indoor-only.