Looking after your Pointe Shoes

Looking after your Pointe Sheos should not be any surprise. Pointe Shoes are an important part of taking good care of your body, especially those feet.

Depending on the level of dancing you do and how long you spend on en Pointe each week, a pair of shoes can last between several hours (for professionals) to several months. But you can improve the life span of your Pointes with some love and care!

1. Air them!

Don’t leave freshly worn pointe shoes crammed in your bag after dance class, airing them out ensures the sweat and moisture dries out faster and lessens the likelihood of your pointe shoes going mouldy and soft!

2. Don't get them wet!

Yes, sweat is water, and whilst a little sweat in class is fine, to extend the life of your pointe shoes avoid getting them wet under any other circumstances. Keep your shoes in a separate spot from your water bottle. Not only will moisture damage the shoe structure, it’ll also leave a big ugly stain on the satin.

3. Mix it up!

It’s important to make the decision for yourself: But by swapping feet between wears - from one foot to the other can work different parts of the shoe, particularly if you have one foot that’s stronger than the other. This can be a great way to get a little more dancing out of each pair.

4. Before you put them on...

The danger zone occurs when dancers think that ‘breaking in’ pointe shoes means literally breaking them, and take to hammering them against walls and doors. Your pointe shoes will begin to ‘break’ and soften naturally the minute you put them on, and if you’ve been fitted correctly and work through your feet there really isn’t a need or benefit to breaking your shoes in any other way than by dancing.

Following the advice above will not only give you a little more wear out of each pair of pointe shoes it will also keep them in better condition throughout every stage of their life. Remember that pointe shoes may be tough, but they’re also delicate. So treat them with the love and care they deserve... and they'll do the same to your feet!