Ballet Dancers, Pointe Shoes and Dancing on Toes. Written by Teresa Knudsen, republished November 10, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings, originally published on Suite 101 April 10, 2009.

Written by Teresa Knudsen, republished November 10, 2012 on Sweet Suite Writings, originally published on Suite 101 April 10, 2009.

Ballet Dancers, Pointe Shoes and Dancing on Toes      Preparing Toe Shoes for Ballet Performances is Hard Work.

The image of a graceful ballet dancer, gliding across the stage on her toes makes dancing in pointe shoes look easy. Yet, dancers must spend time to prepare their shoes.

Almost every ballet production requires that its female dancers wear pointe shoes, or toe shoes. These dancing shoes are a complicated mixture of pretty satin covering, glue, nails, canvas, cloth, and leather. Brand new pointe shoes are rock-hard and nearly impossible to dance in without causing the dancer much pain through sore feet and bleeding toes. In order to make the shoes usable, dancers soften the shoe through a variety of techniques that approach a pre-performance ritual.

Hammering Pointe Shoes

Many dancers swear by the hammer. After taking the pink satin shoe from its box, a dancer will hold the shoe against a hard surface such as a floor, and beging hammering the toe of the shoe until it begins to acquire the necessary flexibility for a dancer's foot. This process often requires that the dancer hammer, try the shoes on, take the shoes off, hammer more, then test the shoes again, until all the stiffness is hammered out. Dancers test various hammers, and often carry a favorite hammer with them as they travel for performances.

Slamming Doors on Pointe Shoes

Another method is to slam doors on brand new pointe shoes. In this case, the dancer will hold the toe of a pointe shoe in an open doorway, and then slam the door as if to close it. The momentum of the door hitting the pointe shoe is what begins to knock the stiffness from the toe section. As with hammering, dancers often laugh about slamming doors, as people in the vicinity tend to complain about the noise of doors hitting pointe shoes.

Watering Pointe Shoes

A third, and less noisy way of dealing with stiff pointe shoes is to water them. In this method, a dancer will simply turn on a faucet and place the hard toe shoe under the running water. A variation is for the dancer to put on the shoes, and then place her foot under the running water. Some dancers prefer warm water that also helps to warm up their feet. Others prefer cold water, to help take pain from their toes.

Softening Will Lessen the Life of a Pointe Shoe

No matter which method is used, softening does tend to make the life of a pointe shoe short. This aspect often is immaterial for the professional dancer who is wearing a shoe designed only for one performance. In addtion, professional dancers are often provided with pointe shoes by the dance company. However for new dancers, especially those worried about the high cost of pointe shoes, the expense of buying new ones often leads dancers to avoid the softening process, or else reverse it by painting a stiffening glue inside the toe box after dance classes or performances.

The Ritual of Wearing Pointe Shoes

Whichever method a dancer selects, softening pointe shoes remains an interesting topic of discussion among dancers. The ritual of preparing for a soft, floating effect will always include hammering, slamming doors, or the sound of running water.

Here are some guidelines about the proper age to begin pointe work  (Link is coming)
References

Rouse, Bess. "The Hidden Tribulations Behind Ballet Shoes. The Tech. Online Edition. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Volume 121, Issue 49. 5 Oct. 2001

Zanda, Brett. "The Modern Twist on an Ancient Shoe." Popular Science.

Copyright Teresa Knudsen. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.

Teresa Knudsen- Teresa's writing appears in the British Library, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. Online she has written for USA Today and E How.
Comments

Jun 6, 2009 12:04 AM

Guest :

this is a nightmare for a dancer who does not know what they are doing.. I am predicting a lot of wasted shoes and angry parents...

Jun 9, 2009 11:49 AM

Guest :

as a dancer, I must say that this ritual of softening your pointe shoes is very common. I prefer the hammer method, and if that doesn't work as well as i'd like, I suffer through it. My favorite brand of pointe shoes is Capezio Plie II. They are beautiful and offer great support. I have come to prefer them over other brands. I like to get my pointe shoes from online retailers like http://www.childrensdanceshoes.net since I buy them so frequently, I get tired of running to the local dance store. Interesting post! Thanks for the other ideas, i'll have to try them.

Aug 29, 2009 10:50 AM

Guest :

i also prefer the hammering technique,,..,,.. its easy fast and successful!!!! i had to soften my freeds... ,, .. . the box was way to hard and it would cause blisters and bleeding toes!!!! thank god that nightmare is over!!!!!!!

Mar 18, 2010 1:10 PM
Guest :

i have a hnd and hnc in ballet and as a danser have tried all of thease methods but i just baugt gel pads or fome pads and plase then in and it works like a treat no pain and it make your shoes rellie comfy :D

May 17, 2010 1:20 PM

Guest :

I've tried some of these methods, but I still prefer to break them in the old fashion way. Yeah, it's painful but I find the shoe fits my arch better than any other way.

Jun 23, 2010 5:14 AM

Guest :

I like breaking my shoes in with my feet. It takes a while but it makes them more comfortable. It also really strengthens your feet in the process.