Break in New Pointe Shoes

When a ballerina breaks in her pointe shoes, she is actually molding the pointe shoes to the shape of her feet. Once your pointe shoes are broken in correctly, they should have a long life span and will be a pleasure to dance in.

Steps

Softening the shoe

  1. Remove the pointe shoes from their box or bag. Grab the box in your left hand, and the heel in your right. Bend the heel down till it touches the bottom of the shoe. Do this slowly, as you don't want to harm the shoe. Hold the flex for a few seconds, then return the shoe to its original position.
    • Repeat with the other shoe.
  2. Grab the heel in your left hand and the box in your right. Slowly bend the heel upwards till it touches the top of the shoe. Hold for a few seconds, then release.
  3. Soften the box. Gently massage the sides of the toe box with your hands. Some dancers soften the box by standing on top of their shoes. However, great care must be taken to avoid "breaking" the toe box. You can also use water and alcohol as these won't damage or leave stains on the shoe.
  4. Soften the shank. The shank is the stiff mid-sole in the arch of the foot. Gently massage the demi pointe area of the shank, or the area that bends while on relieve. Find the area where your heel ends and your foot begins, bend it there. It's better than bending the exact middle; as that can shorten the life of your shoe.

Working with the shoe to continue softening it

  1. Dip a washcloth into warm, not hot, water and rub it on top and sides of the box. The satin should turn an orange color. Try not to get the top of the box wet.
  2. Sew on the elastic and ribbons after the water dries, and put your pointe shoes on. Find something to hold onto like a bed, table, or chair. With feet in parallel, roll through both feet to get up to pointe. Hold, then slowly roll back down. Repeat ten times.
  3. Roll through your right foot only to pointe, then roll your left foot up while the right one goes down. Repeat ten times.
  4. Do roll-throughs. Starting with your feet in parallel, bend your right knee and press through your right foot up to full pointe. Be sure to focus on the demi-pointe position, and when on full pointe, push forward with your ankle and arch. Repeat on the left side.
  5. Walk on demi pointe. One of the best ways to break in pointe shoes is to simply put on socks over the shoes and rise to demi-pointe and then full pointe in them. Try rising onto Demi Pointe and walking, forcing the shoes to conform to your own arches. Exercises in Demi-Pointe are the best ways to break your shoes in.
  6. Work at the barre. Performing exercises at the barre is enough for some dancers to break in their pointe shoes. Try lots of plies, concentrating on rolling through demi pointe, all the way up to full pointe, then down flat again.



Tips

  • Make sure your pointe shoe is fitted by a professional, and if you are a beginner, follow your teacher's guidance.
  • Banging the shoes together, or on a hard surface such as concrete, will make the pointe shoes quieter when dancing in them.
  • Hi-tech pointe shoes such as Gaynor Minden don't require to be broken in, and can be molded to the foot easily by applying hot air from a blow dryer, then letting the shoe cool on the foot.
  • Some dancers prefer stiff-er shoes meaning you can skip parts of step 1-2 because dancers with strong feet (normally low arches, reasonably narrow feet) find this better as they may challenge themselves.
  • Sansha Ovation 3/4 have long lifespans and are good beginners shoes but can be difficult to break in. Different pointe shoes are better on different people. Battement Tendus without pointe shoes can help strengthen feet for pointe and help with roll throughs and technique of rises.

Warnings

  • Don't perform any steps without approval from your teacher. Before you break in your shoes show the shoes to your teacher and make sure she approves. Be careful not to go over on your shoes. Always watch and be careful when dancing on pointe. Make sure you tape your toes and protect them from blisters and bunions.

Related Articles

You may like

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Break_in_New_Pointe_Shoes&oldid=350783"