Pointe Shoes

The day a ballerina tries on her first pair of pointe shoes is a momentous one. It takes years of training to graduate from soft ballet slippers to pointe ("toe") shoes. Dancing en pointe is a dream that beginner dancers hold dear.

What Is a Pointe Shoe?

The pointe shoe has a special reinforced insole ("shank") and toe ("box") which enables the dancer to stand en pointe--on the very tips of the toe. The exterior of the shoe is normally pink satin. However, other materials can be used and the shoes may be dyed for a performance. The day a dancer earns her first pair of pointe shoes is seen as an important milestone in her ballet career.

Who Dances en Pointe?

Pointe shoes are normally only worn by female dancers. However, some performances require them to be worn by men.

Although these ballet shoes are designed to help a dancer more easily stand en pointe, most of the work is still done by the dancer herself. The toes must bear her entire weight, often for long periods of time.

Pointe shoes should only be worn once the dancer's feet are strong enough to allow her to dance en pointe without causing injury. It can take many years of training to reach this stage. Young children should never be allowed to dance en pointe, since their feet are still growing.

Once a dancer graduates to dancing en pointe, pointework usually takes up only around 15 minutes of each class, until the feet have become used to the change.

Buying Your First Pair

When buying your first pair of pointe shoes, it's advisable to have the shoes fitted by someone trained in the fitting of ballet shoes. Don't buy your first pair from eBay, online stores, or anywhere else where there isn't an expert on hand to ensure that the shoes fit correctly.

Fitting Your Pointe Shoes

Your pointe shoe size will be much smaller than your street shoe size--up to three times smaller, in fact. But, buying them isn't quite as simple as calculating your size and then buying it. When you're selecting your shoes, you'll also need to consider the width of your foot. This is another reason why it’s a good idea to have your first pair fitted by a specialist.

Pointe shoes should be a close fit, although not so tight that they reduce the blood flow to the feet. Shoes which are too big, however, can be more dangerous than shoes which are too small. The foot is not properly supported in gaping shoes.

There are many factors to be taken into account when being fitted for pointe shoes. In fact, a fitting can take several hours. Make sure you speak to your ballet instructor before buying your shoes. Different instructors prefer different types of shoe.

Taking Care of Your Shoes

The serious dancer will get through a pair of pointe shoes every few weeks. To prevent injuries, it's important to replace your shoes as soon as they start to show signs of wear.

To keep your shoes in good condition, take of them after each class. Never put your shoes away damp; always make sure they're left somewhere to dry out. Some dancers buy two pairs of shoes at a time. This lets them alternate, giving each pair sufficient time to dry out.

More Information

• Caring for Your Pointe Shoes
• Fitting Your Pointe Shoes

• Women in Knee High Boots
• Fashion Stiletto Boots
• High Heels Models
• Shoe Style Rules Quiz
• Shoe Fads and Trends Quiz

• Discount Ugg Boots
• SAS Shoes
• Buying SAS Shoes
• Sexy High Heels
• Off Broadway Shoes

• Athletic Shoes
• Girls Hip Hop Dance Shoes
• Vegan Dance Shoes
• Bloch Dance Shoes
• Ballet Shoes