| ing for ballet shoes, like most other items, has been | | | | options, though it comes at the highest price. It is |
| made easier by the presence of well stocked and | | | | important however that each dancer consider their |
| quality assured online businesses. Not only the shoes, | | | | own preferences before purchase. |
| but virtually every piece of ballet gear is available, | | | | As a beginner or very young dancer the soft ballet |
| along with a huge array of urban and street dancing | | | | shoe is the exclusive choice of foot wear, and |
| attire. | | | | traditionally comes in pink, white, grey or black, |
| When considering a purchase of new ballet shoes, | | | | however those made from canvas have a much |
| whether online or in person, it is crucial to choose the | | | | wider variety of colours and have the potentiality of |
| correct size for your feet. For many the presumption | | | | being dyed. If you are a dancer of sufficient |
| that they should be small can lead to the acquisition | | | | experience and old enough that your bones have |
| of the incorrect shoes. If the ballet shoes are too | | | | ossified and your muscles strengthened, then you |
| small then they can damage your feet and make it | | | | can consider dancing en pointe. For this a special type |
| more difficult to perform. The excuse for some is | | | | of ballet shoe, called the pointe shoe is required. The |
| that the leather will stretch with use. However this | | | | pointe shoe allows the dancer to maintain extended |
| happens only by a fraction, not enough to allow for | | | | periods of movement upon the tips of the toes. |
| the correct amount of space if you have bought a | | | | Dancers now use satin pointe shoes with a hard but |
| size too small. | | | | pliable shank and a box made up of layers of |
| After fitting there are still a wide variety of questions | | | | cardboard. Dancers must break in their shoes by |
| one should ask before buying a ballet shoe from an | | | | dancing in them using the proper techniques. In |
| online business. The first is the material construction | | | | today's world of pointe shoes, there are a myriad of |
| of the shoes themselves. Here there are two major | | | | pointe shoe styles and shapes, which allows dancers |
| choices, leather or canvas. Leather is traditionally | | | | to find a perfect pair. Still many dancers improve their |
| more durable and warmer then canvas, however the | | | | shoes by manipulating them after purchase. |
| weight of the dancer plays a crucial role in | | | | Once the choice of material for the ballet shoes has |
| determining the life span of any given shoe. For | | | | been decided the option of having split sole or full |
| heavier dancers the leather may stick, rather then | | | | sole is an interesting addition on many brands. The |
| slide across the floor, producing poor performance | | | | split sole is popular with jazz dance and allows the |
| and increased wear. For this reason male dancers, | | | | dance to point easier. The full sole, resembling the |
| being typically heavier, prefer the canvas shoe. | | | | shank of a pointe shoe is more popular with en |
| Canvas also has the advantage of being machine | | | | pointe dancers. The decision, once again, is really |
| washable and often at a reduced price compared to | | | | down to the individual dancer and his or her style and |
| their leather counter-parts. The high grain leather | | | | preferences. |
| shoe is regarded as the most durable and flexible of | | | | |