Athletes or Artists?
ground” at the expense of cushioning the foot. In
the past decade however, shock-absorbing materials
such as Poron®, EVA and Sorbothane® have been
incorporated into dance footwear from athletic shoe
designs.
Street shoes, with the exception of full leather soles,
are not acceptable on the dance floor and should
be avoided, along with sandals and flip-flops. Most
street shoes will not slide properly on a wooden dance
floor and open shoes offer little to no protection.
Athletic footwear is not a good choice for ballroom
and traditional forms of dancing, although for
unstructured dancing such as jive, break dancing and
all the derivations under the Rock ‘n Roll umbrella –
athletic shoes work.
To the pointe
The category of dance that requires the most
athleticism and engenders the most injuries by far is
pointe in ballet. From the beginning of their extensive
training, ballerinas are schooled in an increasingly
challenging physical vocabulary, including multiple
pirouettes, jumps and leaps. In the modern pointe
shoe, the foot is supported from underneath the
longitudinal arch by a stiff insole or shank. The box of
the shoe tightly encases the toes, so that the dancer’s
weight rests on an oval-shaped platform. The shank
has varying degrees of flexibility and the toe box may
have different configurations. The outer material is
usually satin and lined with cotton (or a thin denier
nylon lining) for added strength. Surprisingly, until
broken in, pointe shoes will fit either foot; there is
usually no left or right. Except in rare cases, pointe
shoes are worn only by women.
Although it is the shoe that enables the dancer to
poise indefinitely on tiptoe, it is her strength and
technique that bring her from the normal standing
position in the sagittal plane through mid-position or
‘demi-pointe,’ to the full-pointe position, where the
foot is at an extreme angle of plantar-flexion. Once
en pointe is achieved, a contraction of the muscles of
the feet, ankles, legs and torso are required to pull the
dancer up out of the shoe. Without proper technique
and practice an attempt at toe-dancing can cause
injury to the foot and ankle. Children with growing
feet should not be encouraged to dance en pointe, nor
should anyone lacking adequate strength and training.
We all understand the importance in fitting normal
footwear correctly, however, fit is even more critical
in pointe shoes due to the choices available and the
extreme foot and ankle movements required in this
discipline.
Options in fitting a pointe shoe
4In the overall length, in pointe shoes sizes
usually run ½ to a full size larger than American
street shoe sizing. A small ¼ inch pinch at the
highest part of the heel, up by the drawstring is
desirable. The shoe should not fit too tightly.
4To avoid bruising, subungual hematoma
and ingrown toenails select the correct toe box
configuration and midfoot width selection.
4The correct amount of shank support depends of
the dancer’s level or competency. Gaynor Minden,
for example offers six levels of stiffness from
flexible to hard.
4Vamp depth may vary from shallow to deep and
fit at the heel (the rake) may vary in angle and
width.
Pointe shoes have come a long way from their
humble beginnings using such materials as burlap,
paper saturated with glue, and lamb’s wool. Amongst
the most progressive makers of ballet shoes today is
Gaynor Minden. Using modern materials throughout
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