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Preparation For Your Pointe Shoe Fitting Session
Please wear something comfortable that you are able to move freely in- leggings are ideal. If you have them, convertible tights are helpful. If you do not have convertible tights socks are fine (please do not wear full footed tights as we will need to examine your bare feet) . Make sure your toenails are neatly clipped and your feet are clean. If you have had a pair of pointe shoes before, bring your most recent pair. This will help us in finding a new pair and also to look at your habits en pointe.
It is preferable that you call us in advance to book your fitting as it can take up to an hour, especially for a first pair.
Demi Pointe Shoes
It is preferable for dancers that are new to pointe work to have been previously fitted in demi pointe shoes. These look very similar to pointe shoes but have softer soles and are worn only for general class work. Demi pointe shoes are NOT suitable for pointe work as they do not offer the support of a pointe shoe. Their main purpose is to strengthen your feet and legs and they should be worn for a significant period of time before you progress on to pointe work (around 6 months to a year). It is important for your feet to be strong as this can have a big impact on how the pointe shoes will fit. If your feet are not strong enough to hold themselves in the shoe, the shoe tends to twist and this causes misalignment and therefore a risk of knee or ankle injuries.
'Breaking In' Your Pointe Shoes
Remember to gently break in your shoes and mould them to your feet by wearing them for short periods of time around the house, perform rises in first and sixth position (parallel) focusing on rolling through the demi pointe position up to full pointe and back down through the demi pointe. It is important that the shoe breaks in the correct places for YOU, NOT where you happen to bend them using your hands, or shutting them in doors (this is an old myth as instructed by some teachers/fellow pupils)
When wearing your shoes in around the house, do not attempt to go up or down the stairs. The shoes have no grip and it would be like skiing down a bumpy slope!!
Sewing Your Pointe Shoe Ribbons
There are many methods of sewing on your ribbons, we advise you to use one length for each shoe (cut the piece we give you into 2).
1. Fold down the heel piece of the shoe and draw a pencil line along the inside crease on both sides.
2. Fold the heel piece inside out and pin the centre of one piece of ribbon to the centre seam of the heel so that when sewn the ribbon will sit infront of and flush with the pencil lines.
3. Using the lines as a guide sew the ribbon, sewing along each side of the ribbon and along the drawstring casing (be careful not to sew through to the outside of the shoe, stitching should not be visible when the shoe is on the foot) Do not worry if you cannot stitch the whole way round ie. where the ribbon meets the inner sole- the heel will hold the centre of the ribbon in place.
This way of sewing your pointe shoe ribbons gives more support to the foot when en pointe and also reduces the chance of the ribbon coming loose and your having to re-sew it as it is much more secure.
It is a good idea to seal the ends of the ribbons either with clear nail polish or by burning the ends very carefully (please ask an adult to do this for you) this will prevent the ribbon from fraying).
It is advisable that you alter the platform of your pointe shoes, as the satin does not give much grip, and after some wear, will get dirty and rip. There are 3 options for this, you can cut the satin off the platform, you can darn it, or you can glue a suede tip onto the end. If you choose the suede tips, use a white glue like copydex or PVA (not superglue).
How To Glue Your Suede Tips
1.Glue the round part of the tip to the platform of the shoe.
2. Fold the excess suede under the shoe and trim so that the edge of the suede tip meets but does not overlap the outer sole of the shoe, glue into place.
Taking Care Of Your Feet And Your Shoes!
It is advisable that you make sure your toenails are neatly clipped before class, as this is a main cause of bleeding feet and will make the shoe uncomfortable (be careful not to cut them too short and only cut straight across and not into the corners as this will cause ingrowing toenails). If you have any blisters or cuts on your toes, it is a good idea to put some micropore tape over them.
After use, remember to store your shoes in a mesh bag (rather than the plastic one some of them come in) so that the shoes can breathe and dry out. This is important to prolong the life of the shoe, as the moisture absorbed by your feet, when you sweat in class tends to soften the box, giving you less and less support in the shoe. If possible, hang the shoes out to dry over a door inside your house by tying the ribbons together and hanging one shoe either side.
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