Weird Shoes..... Right On Pointe

Beautiful Point Shoes

Photo Courtesy Of: freemotion

Everyone knows that when someone mentions ballet they think of those weird shoes ballerinas wear that make then walk on their toes. Well those weird shoes are called point shoes!

Point shoes have been around for hundreds of years, and you may say they look uncomfortable but back then they were a lot worse. Actually the first dancers to wear dancers weren't even really touching the ground! In 1795 the "Flying Machine was invented which lifted dancers upward allowing them to easily stand on their toes. Later ballet lost the wires and the pointe shoes dancers wear today began to evolve.

For people who don't know a lot about pointe work they might say "Hey can I try a pair, I'm a size 7!"
But getting pointe shoes is not even close to that first of all point shoes run in a completely different size system, for example in street shoes I'm a size 7 but in pointe shoes I'm a size 6 XXX. 

Secondly not just anyone can go on pointe. You're ankles must be strong and well trained also if kids start to young it can mess up the growth in their foot. 

Lastly point shoes are not the same. There are many brand and not all work for everybody. For example my first year on pointe my pointe shoes were from a company called Bloch. That year was torture, they were waaaaaaay to wide so my feet kept slipping and all of my weight was on my big toes. The next year I started wearing a different brand of pointe shoes called Grishkos which are a much more narrow and I have been wearing them ever since.

Pointe for me is a love / hate relationship. I love dancing on point shoes and they make you lines look so beautiful. On the down side pointe is extremely touch on your ankles and usually causes many blisters and feet injuries.

I hope that if you dance on pointe or hope to someday try it that you do not rush into things because pointe work is all about practice and delicacy.