Extend the Life of Your Summer Intensive Pointe Shoes

Preparing for your upcoming summer intensive may be exhilarating, but adding up the bill for tuition, travel, room and board, and dress code requirements can be daunting. One of the most expensive items you’re likely to need are pointe shoes, and since they keep getting pricier (and you may need to buy multiple pairs), here’s what you can do to help protect your investment. 

Plan for one pair for each week.

Beginner and intermediate students usually need one pair of pointe shoes per week, says Riley Thomas Weber, a pointe shoe fitter based in Orlando, Florida. “But I always encourage dancers to bring an extra pair in case of emergencies,” he adds. Advanced dancers doing rehearsals and taking pas de deux in addition to pointe classes may need two or more pairs a week, says Mary Carpenter, a professional fitter in New York City.

“You will likely be dancing more hours than your typical year-round schedule, and dancing in the heat of summer can break down shoes quicker,” says Lauren Post, artistic director of Minnesota Dance Theatre in Minneapolis. Ask your local retailer whether they offer a discount for purchasing multiple pairs at once, and consider reusing ribbons and elastics when possible. “They should be good for multiple pairs of shoes if you remove them carefully using a seam ripper,” Post says. “Darning around the tip of the toe can also help keep the box from breaking down too quickly.”

Be willing to experiment.

Your local dance store is doing its best to offer a broad pointe shoe inventory, but import issues means stock may be low for many handcrafted brands. “We’re having to order 12 weeks in advance, and sometimes that’s not enough time,” says Grace Lecture, owner of Grace & Pointe in Huntersville, North Carolina. “If dancers need multiple pairs of their favorite style, and they are just now working with a trained fitter, they should be open-minded,” she says. “Think of it as dating: You can fall in love with a pair of shoes, date them, and even get engaged, but never lock yourself down permanently because you may be disappointed if they get discontinued or are part of a major backorder.” 

If you do need to “date” a couple of different brands or styles, be aware that harder shoes are great for the rigors of pas de deux, while softer shoes are good for variations with lots of jumps, Carpenter says. “I like the new hybrid styles that blend traditional and modern materials. The elastomers are great for durability, and the traditional materials keep the shoes looking beautiful and classical while allowing for supple movement. It’s a win-win for dancers.”

Dry those shoes (and toe pads) out!

If you’re dancing somewhere more humid than where you live, expect to go through your pointe shoes faster. Organic components like burlap and paper deteriorate rapidly from sweat and humidity. Weber recommends rotating your shoes: “Having a pair for Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and a pair for Tuesday and Thursday, will give them time to dry and help maximize their life span.”

Do not leave your toe pads inside your shoes. Remove them and put them in a mesh bag instead. Then slide a silica or charcoal pouch inside each shoe to help absorb sweat, and keep the shoes in a separate mesh bag. Be sure to store both mesh bags outside of your dance bag for maximum air flow.

Carpenter recommends having three pairs of toe pads so they can be thoroughly laundered (to get rid of bacteria), dried, and rotated. “Pads that contain any kind of gel or plastic are going to make you sweat and break traditional pointe shoes down more. Try to mix it up with lambswool, bamboo wool, and lambswool pads with gel tips,” she says. And, if your shoes do get really damp, you can try a “rice bath” by covering your shoes in uncooked rice for 24 to 48 hours, using a large, sealable container. “Leave them for a few days and they should be ready to go,” Carpenter says. 

Learn to use glue and shellac.

Make your traditional pointe shoes last longer with a cyanoacrylate adhesive (super glue or Jet glue) and/or liquid shellac. Determining which one or combination to use is something dancers do through experimentation. Glue generally provides stiffer results than shellac, which helps as a moisture barrier. “Break in a new pair of shoes for one class and then glue them inside the box, up the sides, and along the shank,” Post advises. 

Don’t wait for them to start to break down much beyond that because once the shoe is dead, that’s it. “You can’t bring it back to life with glue,” Lecture says. If you’ve never super-glued or shellacked your shoes before, take a look at this article and ask your fitter, a teacher, or an experienced older dancer for guidance.