Dance schools are starting up again, and that means that a lot of dancers are going to be starting pointe for the first time. Along with this rite of passage in a young ballet dancer’s life comes the responsibility of caring for the pointe shoes. Not only will proper care prolong the life of the shoes, but the following tips will also lead to an overall more enjoyable pointe shoe experience.
• Always remove padding from shoes after wear. Otherwise the pads will prevent the shoes from drying out completely, and the pads will start to get stinky.
• Moisture breaks down traditional pointe shoes, especially shoes made with the English paste like Freeds and Gambas. Therefore is important to thoroughly air-dry the shoes before wearing them again. For example, Freed recommends a full 24 hours of drying after 1 hour of wear. Grishko recommends 3 days of drying.
• In addition to air-drying, it is good to loosely pack the box with dry paper towel so that the shoe retains its shape while drying.
• Shoes made of synthetic materials like Gaynor Mindens are not susceptible to breaking down due to moisture; however, moisture can still cause unpleasant odor in the shoes, so air-drying is a good idea with these shoes as well.
• Mesh bags are a great way of air-drying the shoes. These are available at Centerstage.
• Do not break in the shoes in any manner other than per your pointe teacher’s instructions.
• Stepping on pointe shoes, slamming them in doors, hitting them with hammers, etc. will dramatically shorten your shoes’ lifespan. Slow, controlled manipulation is a more effective way of breaking in your shoes.