Preparing and Caring for Pointe Shoes

By Janice Barringer/ Sarah Schlesinger

The preparation of dance shoes is a process that is highly personal to each dancer and shrouded in the mystique of several hundred years of dance history. Each dancer develops a system or preparing her shoes that grows out of vanity, personal taste, and the demands of her anatomy. The following guide to preparing pointe shoes is a basic orientation to the process that incorporates traditional techniques and practical concerns. It has been written with the dancer who is still paying for her own shoes in mind.

Daring Shoes

Although daring has gone out of style in our mechanized society, it remains a special tradition that is actually quite practical. Daring shoes offers improved traction and can also extend the wear obtainable from a pair of pointe shoes because it prevents the satins from fraying.

Daring shoes requires a large, curved darning or embroidery needle and cotton embroidery thread the same color as the pointe shoes. A thimble and a pair of pliers are helpful for pulling the needle through the boxing in the toe.

The daring covers the entire toe of the slipper underneath the shoe and the tip of the end. Some experienced darners suggest sewing over the ridge of the toe block to avoid having the stain rip away from the block. Before starting to darn a pair of shoes, the dancer should put them on and slightly soil the satin by putting one pointe at a time on the floor and turning them from one side to another. This soil spot indicates the area to be darned.

The dancer starts as close to the sole as possible and stitches a series of bars of thread back and forth across the pleats, adjacent to the sole, until they reach as far as indicated by the soil. The needle should be stuck into the satin deeply, and the fabric should be picked up with each stitch.

Beginning at the sole again, the dancer blanket-stitches over each bar of thread. Then she connects the rows by pushing the needle through the loops of the row below, continuing until all the bars are covered.

After the darning is finished, it can be covered with a thin layer of colorless shellac and the slippers hung up to dry for several days. As the shoes are worn, wear patterns in the satin on the sides of the toe and under the big and little toe joints may appear. As this happens, these areas can also be darned. Some dancers also use darning as a technique for changing the shape of their shoes. A quick alternative to conventional darning involves cutting the satin away from the toe platform and stitching around the edge of the cut.

In England and Sweden , dancers also crochet toe caps, which they sew onto the tips of their shoes, some English pointe shoe manufacturers include crocheted toe caps in their product lines. When the caps are attached, they must be completely stitched onto the shoe, or the cap will stretch and come loose, possibly causing the foot to slip.

Sewing on Ribbons

After the teacher has approved the fit of a new pair of pointe shoes, ribbons can be sewn on. Pointe shoes require about two to two-and-a-half yards of ribbon, either 5/8-inch or 7/8-inch wide. The actual length varies according to the size of the dancer's ankle. A variety of ribbons are on the market, including those that are satin on onside and grosgrain on the other. The rougher, grosgrain side is placed toward the leg, and helps grip the tights and hold the shoe in place.

The entire length of ribbon is folded in half, and the two ends are placed together. It is then cut into two equal pieces. If the dance is going to sew her ribbons on in four pieces, she should fold each piece of ribbon in half and cut again. There will now be four pieces of ribbon that are each approximately twenty-four inches long to each shoe, attaching the center of the ribbon to the inside of the sole under the heel.

Christine Spizzo used one length of ribbon on each shoe when she danced for American Ballet Theatre. She ran the ribbon under the heel and sewed it on either side. When it was time for a new pair of shoes, she took off the ribbon and reused it. Using the holes made by the needle as a guide for sewing again. This method saved time and also gave her the security of knowing the ribbons would not pull loose.

Some dancers like to sew about five inches of cloth tape to the ribbons to give them added strength and keep them from slipping. This tape needs to be a little narrower than the ribbons, and is attached from the point where the ribbons is sewn to the shoe to the point where the ribbons first cross. The easiet way to attach the tape is to baste it to the ribbons before sewing them onto the shoes.

To attach ribbons, the dancer folds the back seam of the shoe against the sole and toward the front. The ribbons are then placed inside the shoe in the angles made by folding the heel forward. Their raw edges should be facing the lining of the shoe. A light pencil mark is drawn on the shoe lining on either side of the ribbon to use as a sewing guide.

Ribbons are usually sewn tilting slightly forwarded so they will ie flat on the instep. The location of the instep may dictate sewing them farther forward or backward. Some dancers do not sew the ribbons at any angle but prefer to sew them on straight.

In the case of a sickled foot, dancer can experiment with sewing one ribbon slightly forward and the other stitched slightly backward of the pencil mark.

About one inch of the ribbon should be folded under before sewing it to the shoes, in order to make the attachment strong and to avoid ravelling. S0me dancers make one 5/8-inch fold and then fold the ribbon over again. Place the folded end between the pencil marks. The fold should be even with the bias tape edging of the shoe. The ribbons should be pinned to the shoes and tested before sewing.

If the placement seems correct, sew small whip stitches around the two sides and bottom of the ribbon using a double strand of thread or heavy dental flow, advocates of dental floss find it stronger and easier to thread through a needle. Go through all thickness of the ribbon, but only through the white canvas shoe lining. Ideally, stitches should not show through the exterior satin.

When sewing across the top of the ribbons, use a running stitch. Avoid sewing ribbons to the upper binding and drawstring around the tops of the shoe or it will be difficult to adjust the drawstring as the shoe takes the shape of the foot. Avoid finishing the stitches with a large knot since this could bruise the skin. The ends of the ribbons should be clipped on the bias to prevent fraying. If nylon ribbon is used, ravelling can be prevented by running the ends very quickly through a match flame, which will melt the fibers.

If a dancer has extra fabric at her heel because of a broad front foot, a high instep, and a narrow heel, she may be able to help the problem by sewing her ribbons on at a slightly more acute angle than usual toward the front of the shoe. Those dealing only with narrow heels may want to try sewing their ribbons slightly farther back than normal.

or performance, some dancers sew their ribbons with the shiny side of the satin in, to reflect less light. This is also said to tie a tighter knot. Some teachers have their students wear ribbons on ballet slippers during their pre-pointe years to get used to working with them.

Elastic

Elastic can be used on pointe shoes as a ribbon insert, across the vamps, or on the backs of the heels to keep the shoes on the feet.

Dancers often sew elastic into their ribbons so the ribbons adjust to the changing size of the ankle. This allows a dancer to have a more normal demi-plié while wearing pointe shoes.

To insert elastic in ribbons, sew the ribbons on the shoe as described above. Then mark each ribbon where it touches the back of the ankle-bone. Cut the ribbons straight across, melt the ends in a match flames, and sew a two to three inch length of three-quarter inch elastic to the ribbon. This can be done by hand or machine. Then sew the remaining ribbon to the other end of the elastic. After this has been done on all four ribbons, tie them as you normally would, and cut off any extra ribbon.

Elastic can also be attached to the base of the ribbons at the spot where they are sewn to the shoes. This is helpful because it gives when the dancer jumps. When using this technique, the ribbons must be sewn on sloping forward.

A wide piece of elastic can be sewn across the vamp of a shoe for added support if a dancer has weak ankles and highly developed arches. It must not be too tight, however, or it can stop circulation. In England , dancers are able to buy an elastic cloth through Frederick Freed Ltd. That is similar in texture to the elasticized fabric that girdles are made of in the United States . Dancers then cut the cloth to any desired width and configuration, and sew it into the shoe covering the instep. Until recently, when Gaynor Minden introduced vamp elastic, it had been difficult to find elastic or elastic cloth in the United States . Freed dealers also have access to this valuable aid.

Whether to wear elastic on the heels of pointe shoes remains controversial. Although it is a common practise to wear an elastic loop around the ankle or to run ribbons through an elastic loop on the back of the heel, many teachers with British training believe that a shoe requiring elastic is a badly fitted shoe. They feel that elastic in any form is dangerous for the soft tissue at the ankle, restricting the bend of the Achilles tendon and inhibiting the blood flow through the important veins of the foots and leg. As a result the Achilles tendon and bones of the heel can become inflamed teachers who oppose elastic contend that if ribbons are correctly attached, the alight pull forward should hold the instep and around the ankle.

If elastic is used at the heel, it should be between 3/8-inch to 5/8-inch wide and sewn to the outside of the shoe so it cannot rub the heel. A length that will fit snugly from the back of the heel, around the ankle, and back to the heel again should be measured. The elastic should fit snugly, but not too tightly. It can be attached to the shoes with a whipstitch, starting at the top edge of the shoe, down the right side, across the bottom and up the left side of the elastic. The elastic should be sewn at a slight angle at the back of the shoe and not secured the casing. When the shoes are worn, the foot is slipped through the elastic and into the shoe before the ribbons are tied.

Tying on the Shoes

Shoes should be pulled on the feet with both hands. Using only one hand tends to twist the shoes around the foot. Ribbons should be tied carefully to allow the shoe to remain correctly positioned on the foot.

There are a variety of techniques for tying ribbons. The first, the shoes should be tied while the dancer is kneeling on one knee and leaning back slightly. The knee of the free leg is bent, with the foot placed flat on the floor., if the shoes are tied with the toe on pointe or the leg straight, the ankle may not be allowed enough room for flexibility, and it will be difficult to move the foot fully on pointe and demi-pointe . Some dancers find that flexing the foot while tying their ribbons keeps them from tying the shoes too tightly

One ribbon should be extended forward of the foot, crossed over it, and allowed to lie fat in the center of the foot, in line with the anklebones. Then the same ribbon is brought around to the back of the ankle and to the front again, so it lies flat on the center front of the leg at a point slightly above the first cross. Then the ribbon is taken to the side of the leg and held firmly.

The second ribbon is brought forward and crossed over the first ribbon so that it lies flat in the center front of the leg. It is taken around then ankle and knotted with the first ribbon in the hollow between the ankle-bone and Achilles tendon. The ribbons are tied in a small, tight double knot that is tucked under or between the ribbons, so no ends are visible. If the ends of the ribbons are visible on the shoes of students at the Royal Ballet School , the offending ends are disparagingly called “pigs ears.” The knot should not be tied over the Achilles tendon or the shinbone, to avoid pressure, which can lead to inflammation.

In another technique, both ribbons are crossed over the instep. They are wrapped around the foot, crossing the Achilles tendon, and brought back across the instep. The ribbon, which is on the outside of the foot, is brought across the Achilles tendon to meet the ribbon on the inside of the foot. A knot is tied between the inside anklebone and the Achilles tendon. It should fit into the hollow on the side of the foot.

Excess ribbon is folded and tucked from the top under the ribbons, which are wrapped around the ankle. The ribbons which cross the ankle should lie on top of each other rather than winding up the lower leg.

Ribbons that are tied too tightly can keep the calf muscle from working properly and inhibit the foot from making contact with the floor. They can also impair circulation and cause damage to muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the feet and ankles.

The Drawstring

The drawstring in the front of the shoe should be tightened until the shoe feels snug and secure on the foot. It should be tightened only when the foot is in the pointe position. Never pull it by one end. Some teachers suggest tying the drawstring in a small bow and tucking the ends in. others feel that this can induce scar tissue and bruising when the knot presses on the fine blood vessels and causes constriction. They prefer to pull the drawstring gently to the tightness required, knot it, and cut off the excess. In either case, the drawstring should not be cut until the shoes have been worked in several times. Then, any necessary adjustments can be made, and the drawstring can be tied in a double knot.

Some shoes are manufactured with elastic drawstrings, which can press on the Achilles tendon if pulled too tightly. Even conventional drawstring can dig into the heel and stop the stretch of the Achilles tendon. Tight drawstring can dig into the tendon sheath, causing inflammation, or press on either of the two bursae at the heel area, causing bursitis to avoid this, the drawstring can be stitched in place one-half inch on either side of the heel. This will hold the drawstring in place over the heel without pressure, while allowing it to be tightened as needed over the front of the foot. It will also prevent the development of the Achilles tendonitis, bursitis, or heel lumps, which can result when the up-an-down motion of relevé causes the tendon to stretch in a constricted shoe.