How To Make Your Pointe Shoes Last Longer.... As

How To Make Your Pointe Shoes Last Longer....

As dancers we are always trying to extend the life of our pointe shoes, especially when we have to purchase our own as students, because as we all know, pointe shoes do not come cheap! Years of being on pointe, starting out as a basic ballet student, progressing to a full time student, & then to a professional dancer, I have been passed on several pearls of wisdom which I have always used to extend the life of my shoes.

If you can afford it (or you are a company dancer & have your pointe shoes on tap), it is ideal to have at least two / three pairs on hand so that you are able to rotate through them. The longer your shoes can rest between you wearing them, the more time they are able to dry out & re-harden. Pointe shoes roughly need about 36 hours to dry. This is where have that second or perhaps third pair comes in handy. If you rotate your two or three pairs, allowing one pair to dry whilst the others are in use, you can extend the life of all shoes by up to 50%.

Keeping your pointe shoes dry & always airing is the key. Whether you are simply airing them out or allowing hardeners to dry, your shoes must never be placed in a bag or locker while they are still soaking in sweat. This will only allow them to disintegrate at a faster rate. Your sweat can break down the toe box, so by allowing your pointe shoes to dry completely between uses is one the most important things you can do to extend their life.

Once you’re finished class or rehearsal, take your pointe shoes off & remove all padding from of the box of the shoe. Get a plastic bag and stuff paper towels, tissue or newspaper into the bag, which you should then stuff into the box of your pointe shoes. This will prevent the box from shrinking or losing shape as they dry (either with or without glue / shellac inside). You should then place your shoes somewhere dry and airy (not in your dance bag), a desk / bench, hung over your locker or placed in a mesh pointe shoe bag.

There are also products out there that absorb the moisture from your pointe shoes. These "pointe savers" are placed in the shoe when you take the shoes off. Some change colour once they've absorbed all the moisture they possibly can. Then you just microwave and use them again. I personally have not used these products before, however I believe they will slightly decrease the drying time if you don’t wish to use alternate hardeners like glues or shellac.

These days there are many types of shellacs and glues are available for re-hardening pointe shoes. One in particular that I have heard of is called Fabulon, which can be purchased at your local hardware store or sometimes even through dance stores. First, allow your pointe shoes to air out! Next apply the Fabulon to the desired areas by painting on with a brush, or if you don't want to risk ruining your brushes, just pour in, coat the desired areas and then pour out the excess. The Fabulon takes a few hours or overnight to dry, depending on how many coats you apply. Make sure to apply only to where you want hardness because this glue will make the shoe very stiff. This stiffness should last about 1-3 wearings, depending on the dancer and the amount of work.

Besides Fabulon, many other shellacs and glues are available. Some people have been known to use Crazy Glue / Jet Glue into their shoes & there are also a good variety of spray hardeners, which are easy to apply. While glue and other products are very effective for hardening pointe shoes you should be careful when selecting a hardener. Some shellac products are toxic and may cause skin reactions, ALWAYS read the labels & use in well-ventilated areas.

Waterproofing the box of your pointes is another great preventative measure you can do to increase the life span of your shoes. Since sweat and humidity from the outside air is the major culprit in making your shoes break down, it seems quite natural that putting something on them that will make them impervious to water is the best thing to do. There is also ‘Duco Cement’, which again is available at hardware stores. This is more commonly used to protect the seams around the platform edge of Gaynor Mindens; Duco Cement can be used on other brands of pointes as well. Gaynor Minden recommends that moleskin applied to the platform be glued on with Duco Cement as well.

If you’re not sure which hardener will work best for you and the type of pointe shoe you choose to wear, ask your pointe shoe manufacturer what glue they would suggest, as some glues will only work on certain types of shoes. For example, Fabulon will not work with Sansha's. Sansha pointe shoes come with stems that can be placed in the shoe once the shank has lost its strength. Some other styles of pointe shoes, like Gamba pointe shoes, can be steamed to re-activate the glue, therefore rehardening. With Gaynor Mindens, no glue is needed to re-harden the shoe as their shank is made with a very different method and set of materials. When you want to make the shank bend to a precise angle or location on the shoe, just use the warm setting of a hair dryer on it. Warm the shank for about 5 or 6 minutes on both the inside and outside of the shoe. Then bend the shank back how you want it, holding the shoe in that bent position until it cools down. If you "go over" too far, simple bend the shank back in the opposite direction-toward the opening of the shoe.

Generally for all brands & types of hardener / shellac / glue, all you need to do is apply a thin coat to your pointe shoes, first to the outside (on specific areas that have weakened faster than others) & also the inside of the box. You should then apply under the shank (inside & outside), creases, pleats & edges that feel soft. Most importantly make sure you allow your pointe shoes to dry completely before wearing them again.

My final tip to extend the life of your pointe shoes is to preserve the tip of the shoe as much as possible. As previously mentioned for Gaynor Mindens, you can seal the ends with moleskin, suede or a small, thin rubber tip (using any permanent adhesive). Alternatively there is the “old-school” method, which is still a commonly used & an excellent measure for preserving your shoes, of darning. You can darn your shoes with any durable thread (quite thick in diameter), which not only gives your shoes longevity but also gives you a better platform to balance on. Both methods used for maintaining the tips of your pointe shoe work very well, it’s really just a personal preference on which technique you use.

Article written by rating bella ballerina TEAGAN LOWE...

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