Five Tips to Make Pointe Shoes Last
Pointe shoes are expensive. It’s hard to ask your parents to pay for so many pairs at anywhere between $50.00 and $110.00 a pop and it can be incredibly difficult for a high school, undergraduate, student, or un-paid ballerina to pay for them. So we must squeeze every inch of life out of our shoes to be cost-efficient. These simple techniques to care for your shoes can save you hundreds of dollars.
-
When you can feel your box getting soft put a few drops of "Jet Glue" inside your shoe, it works wonders.
-
Make sure they're on a drying rack, you don't want your shoes to tumble inside the dryer. This sucks the moisture out of your shoes, making them not as squishy and prolonging their lifespan.
-
When you're done with your pointe shoes for the day do NOT put them in your dance bag. Being in a confined, non-breathable space can squish them and doesn't allow the moisture from the shoes to escape.
-
If you don't know how to do this then most pointe shoe/dance stores will have the equipment to do so and can show you how. Take a short, small nail and pound it into the shank with a hammer. This makes the shank much stronger.
-
Rather than wearing the same pair every day, alternate. This gives your shoes a chance to rest and dry out.
What care and keeping techniques do you have for your pointe shoes? Leave a comment below.
