By Dianne M. Buxton

There are a lot of options available in pointe shoes now, and
if I were a young student I would be mightily confused. And yet
relieved, too that there might be a shoe that will fit exactly
right, and not be too painful to work in.

If you are a parent reading this, please be aware that there is
a considerable financial aspect at stake here. Pointe shoes
cannot be purchased to grow into. They must fit like a glove, to
be simplistic at the moment, and may not wear out before the
student grows out of them. On the other hand, if your child has
a high arch, shoes may be broken completely and useless for
pointe work, in a matter of a few classes. This situation will
improve as the feet strengthen, but must be put up with until
then. However, such students can remove the inner sole, soften
what is left of the box with their hands (if necessary) and wear
the shoes as soft shoes for regular classes. This saves buying
soft shoes, unless they are a requirement, such as for a ballet
exam.

At a student's first fitting, a lot of time must be taken. If a
fitter or a dance teacher is available, that is a real plus. Not
all stores may have experienced fitters.

The individual's foot shape must be examined. The length and
tapering of the toes, the width across the metatarsals, the
height of the arch, and the depth of the foot must all be fitted
correctly. Badly fitting shoes can contribute to sprains and
permanent injuries. Good technique can make up for bad fits, but
the tolerance of the resulting pain is a waste of the dancer's
concentration.

Before you get to the shoes, think about what you might want to
use for protection inside the shoe. This will take up space. The
variety of gel pads, toe length adaptors, toe tips and all the
other things are wonderful, but make sure you have room for
them. You may be a fan of a ballerina who has stated "I never
put anything in my shoes because I like to feel my feet".... and
you should definitely try that after a few years of pointe work
- but not now.

The boxes of pointe shoes come in tapered shapes, and square
shapes. They must fit so that the foot does not sink into, or
slide around inside the box. A longer second toe usually
requires a slightly tapered, narrow to medium box, but there are
no hard and fast rules. A longer big toe may also feel more
comfortable in a tapered box, but every shape of shoe must be
tried on.

Take a pair of tights with you, to put over your foot and try
the shoes on. For your first fitting, don't wear the tights, as
the fitter may ask to see your toes, if there is a problem
getting a fit. Just in case.

You can check the vamp needed by rising up to 3/4 pointe, and
seeing if the shoe break is wear your metatarsal joints are. Too
high a vamp will impede the foot movement, and too low a vamp
will not provide support.

The stiffness of the shank will be determined by the arch
height and ankle flexibility. You need to be able to get up onto
pointe fully, so that you are not working leaning into the back
of the box. So the shank must give support
but not present so much resistance that you can't work
properly. Most shoes will break in, and keep breaking in until
suddenly they are worn out! That's the life of a pointe
shoe..... Gaynor Minden's are different, and that site explains
exactly how. They don't break in, so you need to buy exactly
what you want to work in. I have never worn them, so please do
your research for exactly the right fit with those shoes.

When you are up on pointe, there should be about 1/4 inch of
spare fabric at your heel. If there is none, the shoe is too
short. If there is more, the shoe is too long. Also, if you do a
demi-plie, and your toes are mashed into the box, hurting, the
shoe is too short, too narrow, or both.

The vamp should not gape or wrinkle - neither should the sides.
There should be equal pressure from the shoe all over the foot.

I've tried to keep these articles fairly short - but like your
first few fittings - time, patience and detail is needed.

About the Author: Dianne M. Buxton is a graduate of the
National Ballet School of Canada. She continued dance training
at The Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, and Toronto
Dance Theatre. She taught at, and choreographed for The National
Ballet School, York University, and George Brown College, in
Canada, and taught at Harvard University in the U.S.
http://www.theballetstore.com provides articles on fitting
pointe shoes, and strengthening exercises, for male students
too.

Source: http://www.isnare.com

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