How to Care For and Maintain Pointe Shoes
Pointe shoes are an essential tool for every dancer, making proper preparation and care critical to both performance and longevity.
BLOCH pointe shoes are crafted using natural fibers and traditional pastes, designed to break down with the dancer’s foot over time. This allows the shoe to adapt to the dancer’s movement while helping to absorb strain and minimize discomfort during training and performance.
With the right preparation and maintenance, dancers can extend the life of their pointe shoes and ensure they perform at their best.
Pointe Shoe Preparation and Care
Preparing pointe shoes is a personal and evolving part of a dancer’s journey. As dancers progress in their training, they often develop individual methods for optimizing the fit, feel, and performance of their shoes.
Below are a few essential tips to help guide dancers through the basics of pointe shoe preparation and proper care.
Sewing Ribbons & Elastics
Sewing ribbons onto your pointe shoes is the necessary first step for any new pair. Learn how to master the art in our step-by-step guide, or watch our easy to follow tutorial.
How to Break in Pointe Shoes
The easiest way to break in pointe shoes is through exercises during pointe class and simply allowing your feet to break them in naturally as you dance. However, if you’re looking for the fastest way to break in pointe shoes, at BLOCH we recommend rises in the first position parallel through demi pointe up to full pointe or walking on demi pointe. This will help soften the box and make the shank more flexible.
What Protection Should Be Used With Pointe Shoes?
Pointe shoes are designed to mold closely to the dancer’s foot, becoming almost an extension of it. Because of this, some dancers prefer minimal padding inside their shoes to allow for a more direct connection and greater control. The type of protection used—and how much—is entirely a matter of personal preference.
For dancers looking to relieve pressure or add comfort, a pointe cushion or pointe pad can provide additional support, while lambs wool offers a soft protective barrier without adding bulk.
BLOCH offers a range of pointe shoe accessories designed to suit individual needs, allowing dancers to customize their level of comfort and protection while maintaining the fit and performance of their shoes.
How To Maintain Pointe Shoes: Afterwear Care
Humidity and dampness are a pointe shoe’s worst enemies, so dancers should always remove any padding or protection from inside their shoes immediately after wearing them.
Once the padding is removed, store your shoes and toe pads in a Mesh Pointe Shoe Bag to allow them to air out properly. Avoid placing the shoes inside one another, as this prevents proper airflow and can cause the box to lose its shape.
When you return home, remove the shoes and padding from the bag and lay them flat on a dresser or similar dry surface to continue drying. Avoid storing pointe shoes in bathrooms or basements, as humidity and dampness can slow the drying process.
Allowing pointe shoes to dry thoroughly helps prevent moisture from remaining in the box, which can cause the paste to soften prematurely and may lead to the shoe drying in a distorted shape.
How Long Do Pointe Shoes Last?
Even when taking the correct steps to maintain your pointe shoes, they are only intended to last a certain number of hours. This can vary depending on several factors; how often they are worn and for how long, the season, weather and climate, plus what type of pointe work you are focusing on. The age of the dancer can also make a difference. For example, a young dancer who is having a couple of lessons a week may need their pointe shoes replacing due to simply outgrowing them, rather than the shoes wearing out. An older student can require two to three pairs of pointe shoes per term – but again, it all depends on the number and intensity of classes taken.
By following the steps above on how to maintain pointe shoes, you can extend the life of your pointe shoe and get the most out of every pair. If you are unsure if it is time for a new shoe, check out our article on How to Know When You Need a New Pair of Pointe Shoes.
How To Make Pointe Shoes Last Longer
- If a dancer tends to roll or if one foot is more flexible or stronger than the other, rotating the pair of shoes from one foot to the other can help them to wear more evenly.
- Pointe shoes can take up to two days to fully dry. If you are a more advanced student or professional dancer dancing multiple days a week, it is advisable to alternate multiple pairs of shoes enabling one pair to dry out completely between wears.
Can You Size Up With Pointe Shoes?
As we mentioned, some younger dancers may need to replace pointe shoes more regularly as they are likely to outgrow them. So, many people ask, why can’t you just buy a pointe shoe with extra ‘growing room’?
Simply put, a pointe shoe that is too big will not support the foot en pointe. There should be no room for the foot to move around inside the shoe; it should be totally encased to ensure both comfort and support. With pointe shoes that are too big, you will experience movement in the shoe, causing friction, pain, and blisters. Pointe shoes should always fit correctly. To prepare for a fitting, check out our guide on What To Expect At Your First Pointe Shoe Fitting.
How To Strengthen Pointe Shoes
Pointe Shoe Glue can be used to strengthen the parts of your shoe that soften quickest. To maximize the life of your pointe shoes, apply a thin layer of our BLOCH Pointe Shoe Glue to the toe box and/or the shank where needed.
Incorrect Pointe Shoe Care: What Not To Do:
To retain integrity and promote longevity of your pointe shoes, the following practices are not advised.
Breaking or bending your pointe shoes manually
Allowing your own feet to break the shoe in naturally is a great way to build strength and technique.
If you are not precise with where the shoe is bent in the shank, the shoe may no longer retain the integrity of its design and could become dangerous to wear.
Use of sticking plaster
The use of sticking plaster over the platform can cause moisture to be retained in the box and cause the platform to soften.
Use of calamine lotion
Using calamine lotion to take the sheen from satin can cause the block/box to collapse prematurely due to the moisture of the lotion.
Now you’ve read our pointe shoe care tips and know how to properly maintain your pointe shoes, why not check out our full pointe shoe collection? We offer pointe shoes in range of styles to suit all levels from beginner pointe shoes to professional pointe shoes, so you can feel comfortable and confident in the studio.