Ballet Pointe Shoes - First Pair and Which Type?

by Tori Heisel
(Lake Stevens, washington,america)

Ballet Pointe Shoes - First Pair and Which Type?

Hi! I'm just getting my first pair of ballet pointe shoes i'm 11 but i have really strong feet thats why i can do it so early, but the thing is i have very thin feet and i don't know what type i should get can u help me please :)

~ Tori


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Reply by Odette

To:- Ballet Pointe Shoes - First Pair and Which Type?


Remember, just like I did before I went en pointe, ballet students MUST take responsibility for their own strengthening prior to beginning pointe work.
Australian dancer, Lisa Howell has made a video which explains how pre-point strengthening works.
Don't leave it to your teacher!
You can watch this pre-pointe video
yourself here (just wait for the page to load up then the video is on the top right of the page).

Dear Tori,

Thank you for contacting me on ballet pointe shoes, it is great to hear you are getting your first pair! How exciting!

In this video, Australian dancer, Lisa Howell has made a video which explains how pre-point strengthening works. I would recommend you listening to the advice given here, as Lisa Howell gives some superb tips for pre pointe.

When it comes to buying your first pair of pointe shoes, it is a good idea to be guided by the experts around you as well as taking initiative yourself.

First, I advise you to ask your teacher which type of shoe she would recommed, as many dance schools have a preference of what brand they prefer their dancers to wear. My teacher recommended Bloch to me, so I planned a visit to my local dance shop and got fitted with a pair of Bloch pointe shoes.

It would be a good idea to plan a visit to your local dance shop too, so you can be personally fitted by the shoe fitters. When I did this, I remember the ladies in the shop were very helpful and fitted me exactly to my foot shape.

You want your shoes to be perfectly fitted to your foot shape, so if you say you have thin feet, you will be looking for a smaller width. It is excellent to be aware of your foot shape and the shoe fitter should also be able to guide you with this too.

There are many different types of pointe shoes including Bloch, Freed, Grishko and Capezio. Each have their own style and are popular with many different dancers around the world.

I suggest you follow your teacher's guidance on which type to begin with, then you can start to experiment with other brands to find the one you like best.

Keep in touch!

Best Wishes,

Odette

ps. To become the best dancer you can be, learn the Seven Secrets ..... go to my 'Seven Secrets of Ballet' page