adult ballet,
I am not sure what else can compare to a brand new sparkling pair of pointe shoes. Unfortunately, they are as stock as they come and are in no way personalized as dancers are very fastidious about the way they sew, break in, and prepare new pointe shoes. Your relationship with your shoes becomes a personal one as your shoes become an extension of yourself. Your pointe shoes will cycle through the “new” to “perfect” to “dead” stages. One way to get the most out of your shoes is to sew them properly. I am going to show you the basics of preparing your pointe shoes and how I like to personalize mine.
New Pointe Shoes: How To Sew & Break Them In
Step 1: Gather Materials
- Scissors
- Pen
- Lighter
- Sewing Kit
- Elastic
- Ribbon
- And of course, pointe shoes (shown below are Capezio Nicolini - These pointe shoes have been discontinued for more than 10 years. They were one of the narrowest pointe shoe models in the Capezio line. The Nicolini fits a small majority of dancers who need a very narrow pointe shoe. Soon these pointe shoes will become a collectors item, along with the Capezio Ultimo and the Dura-Toe. You'll definitely want a pair to add to your collection.)
Step 2: Prepare Your Shoes
Every dancer has her own routine for breaking in her pointe shoes. A few things that I always do when preparing my shoes are:
- Soften the shoe: Begin by taking the toe box in one hand and the heel in the other. Bend the shoe in the middle, folding it in half, then repeat by folding the opposite way. Continue until you feel like your shoe has "some give".
- Soften the box: A good ol’ fashioned bang against a hard floor will do the trick, you can also gently massage the sides of the toe box with your hands. Some dancers soften the box by standing on top of their shoes. Be warned, great care must be taken to avoid "breaking" the toe box so I do not recommend using this method. You can also use a wash cloth damped with warm (NOT HOT) water or alcohol as these won't damage or leave stains on the shoe. Try not getting the top of the box wet.
- 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 and possibly break the shank.
- Rough the satin: Even with rosin, the satin can be quite slippery. I like to scrape the soles and box of the shoe against a rough surface (usually a sidewalk outside)
- Dance in them: Nothing can break in your shoes like a few sessions at the barre. Relevés & Pliés, along with any demi pointe exercises will help break in your new shoes..
Step 3: Sew On Elastic
Dancers either sew their elastic on the inside or outside of the shoe. I prefer to have mine hidden so this method will be from the inside. Also note there are 2 main types of elastic and either is fine to use.
- Start by folding the back of the shoe inside out.
- Sew one end of the elastic directly next to the back seam.
- Begin sewing in one corner of the elastic and sew around all four sides as seen above.
- Measure where to sew the other end by pulling the elastic across the top of your ankle and make a mark on the inside of the elastic at the point that it feels snug.
- Repeat on the other side of the back seam.
Step 4: Sew the Ribbon
There are a few methods when it comes to sewing ribbons which can include using one continuous piece wrapping underneath the arch or cutting in half and adding elastic. First, have a cup of coffee and relax, this might take a while. My sewing method is to place them adjacent to the center seam of the shoe. I prefer this method as it allows the ribbons to lay flush against the top of your feet when you are standing flat and when on pointe. If your pointe shoes have a separate, unattached lining, sew your ribbons onto the lining only. If the lining is bonded to the outer satin and you must sew all the way through, using running stitches throughout.
- Take the package of ribbon, fold in half once and again once more.
- Cut into four even pieces.
- Singe the ends of each ribbon with a lighter to avoid fraying.
- Fold the end of the ribbon where you’ll be sewing 1/4 of an inch.
Keep in Mind
- Some dancers only sew through the canvas layer on the inside of the shoe so that stitches are not visible from the outside. Some dancers also like to sew all the way up to the drawstring casing, but I prefer to stop just below. It is a matter of preference, but be careful never to sew through the drawstring.
- When tying the drawstring itself, no matter how tempting it may be to cut the extra-resist! You’ll be much happier that you tucked the bow underneath the vamp. You don’t want to accidentally tie it too tight and be stuck with digging drawstrings in your achilles.
- When tying the ribbons for your shoes, be sure to tie the knot on the inner ankle. Tying the knot on the outside or back of your ankle can be dangerous and cause injuries.
Happy dancing!
Until next time. - D💋
Until next time. - D💋
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