- Still hand-cut, stitched and assembled, the manufacture of ballet shoes is an almost quaint throwback to another age. Two basic types of shoes--ballet slippers and pointe shoes--are both carefully put together in much the same way, though features of each shoe differs.
- Both ballet slippers and pointe shoes are designed to give the illusion that the dancer is barefoot and extend the line of the dancer's leg to its longest possible appearance. Slippers are worn by both male and female dancers, and allow for moving from a flat-footed to an elevated position on the balls of the feet. Pointe shoes, on the other hand, have a solid toe box, called the block, that enables female dancers to lift up on to the points of their toes.
- Most ballet slippers are made of a thin leather sole stitched to soft leather uppers and held onto the dancer's foot with a single piece of elastic over the instep. Slippers can be made of satin or canvas as well. Though you'll generally see them in pink or white in dance class, slippers are made in any number of colors. Men's slippers are most often made in black, white or skin tone.
- The pointe shoes, or toe shoes, worn by dancers are almost always made from satin stitched to a stiff leather sole. The sole is designed to support the dancer's arch when she lifts herself up onto the point of the shoe. The point itself, also known as the box or the block, is made of layers of material and glue that have dried into a hard platform for the dancer's toes to stand on.
- Since they are so soft, ballet slippers are almost universally broken-in and ready for use immediately. Pointe shoes, however, require extensive break-in by their owners. Many dancers develop their own methods for breaking in the soles, blocks and backs of their toe shoes.
