Pointe Shoe Feet

Depth and Strength of your Arch

Is your arch all show (like mine), deep, but not much umph to it? Or do you have the Amazon woman's arch, with the power to break a shoe just by looking at it?

Or are you somewhere in between?

If you haven't yet, look at your foot. Where do you fall?

Now when you go in to the store to buy your shoes, you can tell the associate that you have arches that can crush a can and she will be able to pull the types of shoes that have a stronger shank.

Or...

You can tell her that your foot happens to be pretty much without an arch and she will pull the shoes with a shank that will best compliment what you do have.

Other Important Parts of Your Foot

Width of the Ball of Your Foot

The width of your foot (across the knuckles) is important, not only for your own comfort, but also because much of your weight should be supported by the shoe at the ball of the foot.

Point shoes come in different width sizes. This is because when you stand on pointe, instead of all your weight sinking right onto your toes, some of it is supported where the widest part of your foot. The shoe needs to assist you in that.

This will take some practice to feel. Basically, you don't want your foot sinking into your shoe, but you don't want your feet to be cramped either. Try on lots of pairs until you understand what width is right for your foot. Remember, the shoe will expand as you wear it, so always error on the side of too tight.

Toe Length

Knowing the length of your toes will help you determine the right vamp. Longer toes need a deeper vamp so that your knuckles don't end up popping out and visa-versa.

The shape of your toes comes into play when one of your middle toes is the longest toe. This means all of the pressure of your body is landing primarily on that toe. You won't be a happy camper for long.

This is a tricky situation and you might have to evaluate if pointe is really right for you. Dance is only fun when it's not causing major damage to your body. You may try packing extra lamb’s wool into your shoes to try to even the toes out.

Foot Sweatiness

If your feet sweat well you will break down your shoes more quickly. Plan for this by buying 2 pairs of shoes at a time and alternate wearing them. It will extend the time between shoe orders.

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