How to Wear Ballet Shoes

The fit of ballet pointe shoes is extremely important to a dancer. To prevent injury, dancers sew elastics and ribbons into the pointe shoes precisely to secure the shoes to the feet. Then, ribbons tied around the dancer's ankles keep her feet in the proper position while dancing, allowing her to safely dance on pointe.

Things You'll Need

• Pointe shoes
• 2 Elastic bands, 3/8 to 5/8-inch wide
• 5 Yards satin/grosgrain ribbon, 7/8-inch wide
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Needle
• Thread
• Clear nail polish

Instructions

Sewing Elastics

1. Locate the back seam of the pointe shoe. With a 1/4-inch whipstitch sew one end of the elastic strap to the outside of the pointe shoe just beside the back seam.

2. Place your foot into the shoe. Stretch the elastic strap across your ankle to measure tension. The elastic should be secure on your foot, but not overly tight. Mark the elastic with a pencil at the appropriate tension and cut excess elastic.

3. Sew the loose end of the elastic strap to the pointe shoe on the other side of the back seam with a 1/4-inch whipstitch.

4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 for second pointe shoe.

Sewing Ribbons

1. Cut the ribbon into four 22½-inch pieces.

2. Flatten the heel of the pointe shoe forward with your fingertips down against the sole of the shoe.

3. Mark with a pencil the spots on either side of the shoe where the flattened heel meets the inside of the pointe shoe.

4. Sew one of the ribbons, grosgrain side facing inward, into the inner canvas layer of the shoe and not through to the outer satin layer with a 1/4-inch whipstitch at the marked spot. Repeat step on opposite side of the shoe.

5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 for second shoe.

Tying Ribbons

1. Place your foot in the pointe shoe, making sure the elastic strap fits securely over the top of your foot.

2. Cross the ribbons over the top of your foot. According to Janet Parke of "To The Pointe" you then "continue wrapping them around the Achilles tendon and again across the instep ...The ribbons which wrap the ankle should lay on top of each other rather than wind up the lower leg."

3. Tie the ends of the ribbons in a knot on the inside of the ankle.

4. Tuck the remaining ends of the ribbon neatly around the knot.

Securing The Pointe Shoes

1. Pull the elastic string on the front of each pointe shoe. The string should be tight enough to hold your foot in place.

2. Tie a knot to secure the string in place.

3. Cut remaining elastic string.

Tips & Warnings

• Prevent the ribbons from unravelling by binding the ends with clear nail polish.

• Wear pointe shoes only with a professional dance instructor's permission.

References

• To The Pointe: Preparing New Pointe Shoes
• Freed of London: How to Fit a Pointe Shoe