POINTE SHOE FITTING
Sewing, Tying Pointe Shoe Ribbons and More
Sewing the ribbons in this way will help stop the heel from swivelling, it will also allow a greater amount of tension to be placed on the ribbon, you then are able to really push against them.
1. Cut a 2.5m piece of pointe shoe ribbon into two equal lengths, one for each shoe,
2. Fold the heel piece of the shoe down towards the heel....
3 Using a pencil draw a line along the inside of the fold.
4. Fold one piece of the ribbon in half and Position it at the centre of the heel seam of the Pointe Shoe....... then place the ribbon along the pencil line
on the shoe side.....if placed on the heel side the ribbons will be placed too far back.
5 The ribbon must be Stitched all the way along both sides.
Some dancers like to add elastic if this is needed, you should use a specially designed Pointe shoe wide elastic, It should be stitched further back than your ribbon... Never sew elastic at the back of the pointe shoe as this may cause damage to the Achilles tendon.
If you like to use a drawstring, then sew it down on both sides of the heel piece of the pointe shoe, to prevent it being pulled across the achilles tendon when tied.
TYING RIBBONS
Make sure that you tie the ribbons correctly when you put the shoes on. The ribbon on the inside of the ankle goes over first then the other one goes on top. The first one is to support the ankle while the other one holds the first ribbon in place, then both ribbons go around the back of the ankle and, in opposite directions, right round again, being careful to knot them on the inside of the ankle not at the very back on the Achilles tendon as this can damage it.
once you have trimmed your ribbon, melt the ends very gently with a either a match or lighter.......this will prevent fraying.......PLEASE DO NOT USE A NAKED FLAME WITHOUT PARENTAL SUPERVISION if you are a young dancer.....
CARE OF POINTE SHOES
Pointe shoes should be hung up and dried somewhere warm i.e.. a radiator or airing cupboard to dry after they have been used. Feet can really sweat, making a pointe shoe soft and weak. drying out your shoes will strengthen them once again. Before you hang them up to dry, place the shoes back on your feet to reshape them. A pointe shoe can take up to 24 hours to thoroughly dry out. If you dance Pointe everyday you should have more than one pair and alternate wearing them.
Never keep your shoes in the plastic bag they came in once danced in. This can cause the shoes to sweat and they will be unable to breathe, causing the shoes to rot and smell. If possible try and carry them in a cotton breathable bag.....These can be purchased or made very easily...Look after your shoes and they will serve you well.
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