How to Size Ballerina Shoes

Ballet shoes can make or break a dance performance.

Ballet slippers, worn by ballet, lyrical and modern students and professional dancers, are slip-on shoes that cover the soles and sides of the feet. Ballet slippers are typically made from leather or canvas and stretch and mold to your feet. Pointe shoes, also worn for ballet, are usually made of satin or suede. The shoe has a solid toe, used for dancing on pointe. Due to the extended pointe portion of the shoe, the shoe appears much longer than the actual foot. A ballet slipper or shoe can be challenging to buy, as a shoe that is sized incorrectly hinders the dancer's abilities.

Instructions

1. Try on shoes one to three sizes smaller than your normal shoe size. If trying on pointe shoes, try them on with a toe pad, which is a wool covering that serves as a buffer between your toe and the hard toe of the shoe.

2. Stand flat-footed, on the balls of your feet and on full pointe (if wearing pointe shoes) to see how the shoe fits.

3. Evaluate the fit of the slipper shoe. The shoe should fit snugly for a ballet slipper, as the material stretches with wear and molding to your foot.

4. Check the fit of a ballet pointe shoe. The big toe (covered by the toe pad) should lay flat just to the tip of the beginning of the hard toe area. If a large gap exists between the toe and the hard tip or if the foot scrunches within the shoe, the shoe does not fit properly. Pointe shoes that do not fit properly can damage your feet.

References

• Capezio: Footwear Fitting Guide
• Capezio Store: Bunheads Toe Pads Fitting Guide
• Dance City Dance Wear: Size Chart
• Toddler Ballet Shoes: How to Choose Toddler Ballet Shoes?