So Many Pointe Shoes, Only Two Feet

Being able to dance ballet in pointe shoes is the result of years of careful practice. Young dance students in their first ballet class have visions of tutus and pink satin pointe shoes as they struggle with their first battment tendus, or ballet foot exercises.

While every ballet exercise is a workout involving posture, balance and turnout, every single pointing of the foot contributes to that day when the students go to the ballet store to seek exactly the right fit in pointe shoes. And when you get to the ballet store, so many pointe shoes!

Years before you get to the dance wear store to find the right pointe shoes, have you missed any opportunities to prepare?

Every ballet class is a pre-pointe class, if you want to look at it that way. Every battment tendu, battment degage, every releve, every jump, is a pre-pointe exercise.

It's all about your use of your feet. In a dance class, and between dance classes. From the way you stand on them, to the way you point them, to the way you support your foot muscles with posture, turnout and balance, involving your whole body.

It's also about the nutritional support you give them. And the rest and relaxation, perhaps using a pinkie ball or a foot roller to get rid of the residual tension after classes.

It's about your between-class-shoes, maybe not wearing the cute floppy type sandals, but wearing something more supportive. Glue some bling on your sneakers!

Okay, back to the ballet store to fit pointe shoes. Here you are with your two feet. Do you know your foot type?

Have you stood on a piece of paper and outlined the right and the left foot? It helps. Even a professional pointe shoe fitter will appreciate that.

Hopefully, you will find a good fit, the right brand, right style, etc., in your first few pairs. But ultimately, it's the strength of the foot muscles and the accuracy of your technique that will get you dancing in pointe shoes, as opposed to struggling with the exercises.

Whenever that is, do not be in a hurry. It's what you do BEFORE you wear pointe shoes that matters.

To get into pointe shoes faster, get The Perfect Pointe Book.