To our U.S. dance family — this is important.
As a proud, family-run British business, we’ve always felt incredibly grateful to support so many dancers across the United States. Knowing that you choose to wear our shoes, handcrafted in our factory with love and care, means the world to us. A vast amount of the shoes our team make end up over in the U.S., it's such an important market for us.
That’s why it’s really frustrating for us to share the latest changes that are sadly out of our control, but we’re doing everything we can to support you through them.
What’s changing?
Until now, U.S. customers have been able to order up to $800 worth of goods from us without paying U.S. duties or taxes, thanks to a rule called the de minimis exemption.
But from 12:01 a.m. EDT on August 29, that exemption is being removed for all non-postal commercial shipments — including all orders sent via DHL, FedEx, or UPS.
What this means for you:
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All orders from us — even under $800 — may now go through formal customs clearance.
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Duties and taxes may apply.
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Orders may require additional documentation.
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You might experience delays compared to the usually incredibly speedy delivery services.
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And unfortunately, the final cost to receive your shoes could be slightly higher than before.
We know this isn’t what anyone wants to hear — and as a small, passionate business, we truly feel the weight of it too. The last thing we want is for people is to feel the cost of dancing increasing.
What should you do right now?
If you're planning to order soon, we kindly urge you to do it before we reopen on August 11.
We’ll be getting straight back to work the moment our team returns from the summer break and we’ll only have a short, 2-week window to make and ship shoes to try and get them safely to you, before the new rules kick in.
Customs clearance can take time, so the earlier your order is placed, the better your chance of avoiding the new duties and delays.
What Happens After 29 August?
We’re not going anywhere. We’ll still be shipping to the U.S., still making your favourite shoes, and still here to help.
But you may start to see:
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Increased landed costs (duties/customs charges)
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Longer shipping times
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More formal customs procedures
Since the new administration came in and tariffs were first iintroduced, there have been multiple changes so we can certainly hope they will revert back to installing a de minimis rule, however we can only communicate info based on the rules of today.
Prefer to shop locally?
We’re proud to work with trusted stockists across the U.S. who carry a wide range of our shoes. You can find their details here: View U.S. Stockists
Need Help?
We’re already working to understand the new rules and adapt.
If you have any questions, no matter how small, please don’t hesitate to reach out — just email sales@ids-danceshoes.co.uk and one of our team will be happy to help.
Thank you for standing by us. We’re committed to standing by you — through this and every dance to come.