Ballet Pointe Shoes - Where to place Toe Tape

by Josie

Ballet Pointe Shoes - Where to place Toe Tape

Hi Odette,

It's me, Josie again, I'm 13 years old now and I got my second pair of pointe shoes. The brand is Ting Dance. I have a problem because my big toe hurts and this doesn't happen with my other pair of pointes (my first pair) I've been searching through the Internet, asking why my big toe hurts. Most people say I put too much weight on my big toe. If that's the reason, then how do I put weight on all toes?

Anyway, I asked the front desk girl and she said I should get some toe tape. She said to wrap it around the big foot. Before I was on pointe, I saw my friends who are on pointe place toe tapes around their second toe, third toe, first toe, so I want to know where to place the toe tape on your toes. What is toe tape for? I'm assuming it's to lessen the pain on your toes. Maybe, maybe not. But where can I place the toe tape on my toes? Where on my toes? Thanks :)

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Reply by Odette
To: - Ballet Pointe Shoes - Where to place Toe Tape

Hi Josie,
Thanks for your message, it's great to hear from you again. Well, I hope I can help you out because I can understand how you're feeling! My big toe is always the first one to hurt, since it is slightly longer than the others that is where most of the pressure goes. If this is the case for you too, it is hard to put the weight on all toes since they aren't evenly touching the block of the shoe. Therefore, first things first, you must make sure the pointe shoe it the right size to fit ALL your toes. You want them to lie flat and not be scrunched up.

You can get toe tape which will protect the toes more and it can be very individual to you of where you put it on your toes. I mainly use toe tape to prevent blisters, so I wrap the tape around the toes like I would put a plaster to my finger. You can wrap it several times around so it covers as much as the toe you would like. I don't know if it will necessarily stop your big toe from hurting, but it is worth a try. I'm sure you can ask your friends to take a look at where they put the tape too, but don't be afraid to experiment yourself too. It's all a case of trial and error with pointe shoes!

So, I would first check the fitting of your pointe shoe. Then, look at the padding in your shoes to make sure your big toe is not just protected but 'padded' by using animal wool or ouch pouches.

Give all this a go, then get back to me. Let me know how you get on.

Best wishes,
Odette