Pointe, as most of you probably know, is the part of ballet where you dance on the tips of your toes. It takes alot of training before your teacher will let you go en pointe. It took me a little more than two years. You must also be old enough, because, you could be a very strong dancer and are still not able to go en pointe from lack of bone growth. The bones in your feet must be formed all the way, which usually happens around the age of 11 or 12. If you go en pointe too soon your feet may deform over time, or may be injured in a more sudden way. To keep safe and healthy it is required that you follow your teachers instructions, and only start pointe when he/she thinks you are ready. There are SO many different brands of pointe shoes. And SO many different shapes and sizes in each brand. So, when you go for your first pointe fitting it can take a very long time to find the shoe that is just right for you. The shoes should feel snug but must not make your toes buckle or curl. And when you go en pointe you should not be sliding down AT ALL!!! This will cause very painful blisters. Your shoe must fit like a glove, and should be the right flexability for your strength in feet. These are just a few of the things to look for when getting fitted that you should know about, so that you can tell if the people fitting you know what they're doing. It's also a good idea to have your teacher come along when your getting fitted for the first time, (if it's alright with your teacher of course.)
What if your pointe shoes are dying, and you still want to use them a little longer? Well, you can wax your pointe shoes, and that will firm them up so you can get a little more life out of them! Click here for instructions.
Here I have listed SOME pointe brands...
Chacott
Sansha
Repetto
Freed
Fuzi
Capezio
Gamba
Grishko
Gaynor Minden
Bloch
Russian Pointes
Elite
