| Pointe Shoe Pointers |
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| Let your toe shoes air out |
| After a long day of practice take your toe shoes out of your dance bag and just let them air out. This will help the toe shoes get rid of the moisture and sweat from your feet and it will help them get hard again. You can also buy a mesh toe shoe bag from Discount Dance and put them in there to air out. I put my shoes out in the sun when I have the chance and my shoes are really soft. It really does work!! |
| Fit your toe shoe before you buy them |
| This especially needs to be done if you are a beginner just starting pointe. If you are a beginner I would recommend Pavlova made by Capezio. This is a wonderful beginner shoe, but you should always check with your teacher first especially if you are a beginner pointe student. If you are not a beginner and you just want to try a new shoe then that is fine just make sure you know what size to get and what kind of shank to get if they give you a selection. A shank is the arch of a toe shoe. If you don't have that deep of an arch or you are a beginner I would recommend the regular shank and if you have a deep arch or you are more advanced try the harder shank, if you want. You don't have to even if you are advanced. |
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| Breaking in the Pointe Shoes |
| Once you get that new pair of pointe shoes, you need to break them in. Breaking them in means you are molding the pointe shoes to the shape of your foot so that they fit perfectly to your foot. Here are a few pointers to breaking in the pointe shoes: You should do alot of relieves in 1st and 2nd making sure you roll through your feet Do alot of plies Also try doing bend push or bend point. Or if you have another method that works good use it. These are just some of my pointers. Some dancers also arch their shoe when they are new, but do not over arch the shoe!!!! Arching the shoe means you take the bottom of the shoe and bend it with your hands so it makes an arch, but again you do not want to over arch it!!! That is very important!! If you are just starting pointe you might want to ask your teacher about arching your shoe. Some people don't have to arch their shoes. So, you should ask your dance teacher first before you arch them. |
| When is it time for a new pair of toe shoes? |
| When you get a pair of toe shoes they eventually have to wear out right?! Well, here are a few tips to tell when you need a new pair of toe shoes. If your box or shank become mushy, soft, cracked or bent out of shape in any way or form then it is time for a new pair. Basically if your box or shank is not giving you the full support you need, then you need to go ahead and buy a new pair. Sometimes if your archs get stronger as you go along and you discover that the shoe you have now breaks more frequently and eaiser then, this may just indicate that you need to try a new brand or just to get a stronger arch in that same shoe. Also, if your shoes are wearing out frequently then try not put all of your weight or support onto the box. Try not to use the box for your support, but for your muscles to give you the support you need. |
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