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To The Pointe
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Buying your first pair of pointe shoes should be a memorable but knowledgable experience. You should be fit in a well known dance store that you trust. The girls who work at Applause are all eperienced dancers who have learned from experience what is the correct fit for a pointe shoe.
The wrong pointe shoe can cause much unwanted pain. Shoes that are too long or too wide can cause the foot to move inside the shoe. This will cause blisters from the shoe rubbing against your foot. Pointe shoes should fit like a glove. The box of the shoe is supposed to be an extension of your foot. The heel of the shoe should fit like skin. The shoe should need a little tug to get it on to be sure you have a good snug fit. always make sure the pointe shoe fits correctly and feels good when you are up on pointe. Your foot will slide forward when you get up on your toes if they are too big.
**** Here are some basic rules to follow when fitting for pointe shoes:
1- Minimal to no wrinkles should be in the box area of the shoe.
2- You should not be able to fit your pointer finger inside the edge of the box.
3- Pointe shoes should fit like a glove.
4- The heel of the shoe should feel like skin.
5- Always try both shoes on your feet.
(There is no right and left foot with pointe shoes)
6- You should not be able to move your foot around inside the shoes.
7- Make sure you stand on pointe completely to see how your shoes feel.
Which pointe shoe is good for me?
**** If there is no recommendation then many different brands should be tried on to learn how each one differs. No one should really be able to tell you exactly which pointe shoe to buy because everyone has a different foot therefore each and every pointe shoe fits everyone differently. You should get what you feel most comfortable in. If teachers do make recommadations then there is a good reason for it so take there advice and try on the shoe. If the shoe bothers you then explain that to your teacher and they should be able to suggest something better. It may take some time trying on many different sizes and styles before you get the right fit so be prepared to spend some time with us when trying on pointe shoes. All new pointe shoes bought at Applause should be approved by your pointe teacher before anything is sewn on or anything is worn. After the teacher approves the shoe you may sew on the ribbons and elastic. A student who is responsible enough to begin pointe should be able to sew her own pointe shoes. When entering a store to try on pointe shoes you should have tights and whatever it is you wear as a pad inside of the shoe. If it is your first time buying pointe shoes we will explain and show you all different types of pads. Pointe shoes are sized much differently then regular street shoes. We ddo not recommend purchasing pointe shoes online, they should be tried on when purchased. If you think you know the exact size and style you want it is a possibility that they may still be different when you get them because most pointe shoes are handmade.
Buying your first pair of pointe shoes should be a memorable but knowledgable experience. You should be fit in a well known dance store that you trust. The girls who work at Applause are all eperienced dancers who have learned from experience what is the correct fit for a pointe shoe.
The wrong pointe shoe can cause much unwanted pain. Shoes that are too long or too wide can cause the foot to move inside the shoe. This will cause blisters from the shoe rubbing against your foot. Pointe shoes should fit like a glove. The box of the shoe is supposed to be an extension of your foot. The heel of the shoe should fit like skin. The shoe should need a little tug to get it on to be sure you have a good snug fit. always make sure the pointe shoe fits correctly and feels good when you are up on pointe. Your foot will slide forward when you get up on your toes if they are too big.
**** Here are some basic rules to follow when fitting for pointe shoes:
1- Minimal to no wrinkles should be in the box area of the shoe.
2- You should not be able to fit your pointer finger inside the edge of the box.
3- Pointe shoes should fit like a glove.
4- The heel of the shoe should feel like skin.
5- Always try both shoes on your feet.
(There is no right and left foot with pointe shoes)
6- You should not be able to move your foot around inside the shoes.
7- Make sure you stand on pointe completely to see how your shoes feel.
Which pointe shoe is good for me?
**** If there is no recommendation then many different brands should be tried on to learn how each one differs. No one should really be able to tell you exactly which pointe shoe to buy because everyone has a different foot therefore each and every pointe shoe fits everyone differently. You should get what you feel most comfortable in. If teachers do make recommadations then there is a good reason for it so take there advice and try on the shoe. If the shoe bothers you then explain that to your teacher and they should be able to suggest something better. It may take some time trying on many different sizes and styles before you get the right fit so be prepared to spend some time with us when trying on pointe shoes. All new pointe shoes bought at Applause should be approved by your pointe teacher before anything is sewn on or anything is worn. After the teacher approves the shoe you may sew on the ribbons and elastic. A student who is responsible enough to begin pointe should be able to sew her own pointe shoes. When entering a store to try on pointe shoes you should have tights and whatever it is you wear as a pad inside of the shoe. If it is your first time buying pointe shoes we will explain and show you all different types of pads. Pointe shoes are sized much differently then regular street shoes. We ddo not recommend purchasing pointe shoes online, they should be tried on when purchased. If you think you know the exact size and style you want it is a possibility that they may still be different when you get them because most pointe shoes are handmade.
What students and parents should know...
**** At Applause we will not sell you pointe shoes unless you are taking pointe class because if you are not trained correctly you are risking serious injury. Every student beginning pointe should be at least 10 years old. Many teachers wait until students are 11 or 12 years old. There are two main reasons why the student should be of this age before beginning pointe. The first reason is because up until this age the bodies muscles and bones are still growing and not fully developed. If you begin pointe before you are done growing you are risking a malformation to the joints and bones. Although these malformaions are not always noticed right away later in life they may have serious pain due to standing on your toes with not the right training. The second reason you should not begin pointe before you are 10 is because you need about 3 years of serious training in ballet to achieve the correct technique on pointe. For example if you begin pointe at 9 years old that means your serious training began ay 6 years old. There are not many 6 or 7 year olds that can really grasp all the correct movements in ballet. If you feel the need to have another opinion there are plenty of websites that will repeat exactly what you have just read. I strongly suggest that you speak with your doctor and let him know all these risks. He may evaluate your daughter's bones and muscles to see if they are strong enough.
Sewing Ribbon & Elastic
1- Fold the ribbon in half. Cut into two equal pieces.
2- Fold each piece in half and cut again. You should now have four pieces of ribbon that are of equal length.
3- Take the heel of the pointe shoe and fold the heel inside towards the toe of the shoe. Place the ribbon by the edge of the fold. This is where you sew the ribbon, one on each side of the inside of each shoe.
4- It is sometimes hard to find the right color thread to match you pointe shoes. Something close will be ok or you can use floss because it is very strong.
5- When sewing the ribbon do not push thread all the way through the satin, just pick up the canvas. (this is the inside material of the shoe) That way it looks neat and you do not have stitching showing on the outside of the shoe.
6- After you have the ribbons sewn on you mught want to lightly melt the end of the ribbon with a match to prevent unraveling of the ribbon. **THIS SHOULD ONLY BE DONE BY AN ADULT!**
7- Now for the elastic! There are two types of elastic, 3/8" in length or 5/8" in length. If your teacher does not recommend which elastic to use then it is your preference. Begin with the shoe on your foot and measure the length of the elastic that you will need because everyone's ankle's are different sizes. Mark the elastic at the pointe where it is snug around your ankle but not too tight. Hold the elastic at the middle of the heel again. Sew correct length of elastic at heel of shoe. Do not sew elastic on canvas pullstring because then you will not be able to tighten the string.