A pointe shoe, also called a ballet shoes, is a type of shoe worn by
ballet dancers when performing pointe work. Pointe shoes were conceived in
response to the desire for dancers to appear weightless and sylph-like and
have evolved to enable dancers to dance en pointe (on the tips of their
toes) for extended periods of time.
Pointe shoes, with their ability to elevate a dancer both literally and
metaphorically to a superhuman realm, are the ultimate symbol of a
ballerina’s ethereality and hard work. For students, receiving a first
pair of pointe shoes is a rite of passage.
Every dancer has unique feet, with variations that include toe length and
shape, arch flexibility, and mechanical strength. Consequently, most
pointe shoe manufacturers produce more than one model of shoe, with each
model offering a different fit, as well as custom fitted shoes.Regardless
of the manufacturer or model, however, all pointe shoes share two
important structural features that enable dancers to dance on the tips of
their toes:
