How to Fit Pointe Shoes

Pointe shoes, more commonly known as toe shoes, are the hard-toe
shoes you wear during ballet performances that make you look like you're floating on air when you are actually balancing on an area no larger than a silver dollar.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Pencils
• White Paper
• White paper
• Toe padding
• Lambswool

Fitting a Pointe Shoe

1. Find your most comfortable pair of street shoes. Use this size as a guide.

2. Stand on your feet on a piece of white paper.

3. Look at the shape of your foot and decide what it looks like to you. Is it wide? Is it narrow? Does it turn in? Determine if you have long toes, short toes, crooked toes; if your foot is long or short; if you have a high instep or low instep.

4. Trace the outside of your foot.

5. Decide which of the styles of pointe shoes that you like matches the shape of your foot. As a general rule, look for a wide box if you have a wide foot and a long box if you have long toes.

6. Choose a shoe 1 1/2 to 3 sizes smaller than your street shoe size. You should have 1/2 inch of space at the tip in a proper-fitting pointe shoe - before application of padding.

7. Apply toe padding (see Section 2).

8. Step into the pointe shoe you chose. You should have a full fit with no gaps.

9. Rise on pointe.

10. Try a smaller or narrower shoe if your foot slides too much forward and the back is not in place against your heel. The shoe is either too wide, too long or both.

11. Try a larger shoe if the heel of the shoe cuts into your heel and feels too tight.

12. Continue to try on shoes until you find a pair that fits properly. With a perfect fit, you don't have to tighten the drawstring, the tips of your toes fit almost to the tip of the shoe, your heel stays in place and you rise with no slippage forward.

Applying Lambswool

1. Take fresh, fluffy lambswool from the box.

2. Divide it into two sections.

3. Work with one fluffy ball at a time and pull the lambswool apart to make a fluffier oval wad.

4. Stretch the lambswool wad and make it as wide as your toes' width. The wad should look almost like an oblong bird's nest and should stay on your toes. Make sure that most of the wool is in the center of the nest.

5. Now place your toes in the center of the long "nest."

6. Pull the wool up to protect and cushion pinky toes if necessary.

7. Use the second section for your other foot.

8. Put your shoes on.

9. Stand on pointe to make sure the cushion is in place. If not, redo the process.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose a long box if you have long toes or even toes; a shallow box with a wide pointe if you have heavy legs, short crooked toes, or want more stability; a deep vamp if you have a high instep; a rounded vamp if you have a shallow instep or a damaged foot; or high box wings if you need stabilization.

• Choose leather toes for practice if you are heavy or want greater longevity for your shoes. Satin toes don't last as long.

• Do not squeeze your foot into too short a shoe, no matter who tells you to. This will cause reduced blood flow to the foot and injury.