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Ballet Pointe Shoes at Dance Unique Dance Unique offers the most popular
pointe shoes available, including
Capezio, Bloch, Grishko, Gamba and Freed through our Online Catalog
for your shopping convenience.
The popularity of ballet continues to grow as both entertainment and recreation. Although many choreographers use bare feet, sneakers, or even street shoes, all the ballet classics and much of today's choreography require
pointe shoes. Though medieval in its construction, the
pointe shoe is very much a part of the future of dance.
Proper Fit of a Pointe Shoe
Proper fit in pointe shoes is critical! That's why
Dance Unique stocks the most popular pointe shoe brands because they all fit differently and it is important to find the brand that fits you best.
At Dance Unique, we pride ourselves on the reputation we have built for fitting pointe shoes. We take the utmost care in fitting our shoes and recommending the best shoe for each performer. Our knowledge of dancers and the variety of shoes available makes it possible to suggest the best shoe for your individual needs.
Characteristics of the Pointe Shoe
The foot is supported from underneath the 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 box may have different configurations. The outer material is usually pink satin and can be dyed for performance to costume designers' specifications. Most pointe shoes will fit either foot; there is usually no left or right. Except in rare cases, only women wear pointe shoes.
Shop Online with our complete selection of gymnastic leotards, shoes, dancewear, and accessories, featuring top brands in every category. If you don't find what you are looking for,
contact us with your request for a special order.
Illusion of Weightlessness
Ballet Dancers use pointe shoes, or toe shoes, in order to dance on the tips of their toes. The aesthetics of ballet calls for a long, tapered line of the leg, which is enhanced by the almost conical shape of the shoe. Through the use of the pointe shoe, Ballerinas strive to create an illusion of weightlessness.
 The Dancer
Although the shoe enables the dancer to poise indefinitely on tiptoe, it is her strength and technique that bring her from the normal standing position through a mid-position,
"demi-pointe", to the full-pointe position. Once en pointe, she maintains a contraction of the muscles of the feet, ankles, legs and torso to pull her up out of the shoe. Without proper technique, an attempt at toe dancing can cause injury.Children and Pointe Shoes
Children with growing feet should not dance en pointe, nor should anyone lacking adequate strength and training. The introduction to pointe work must be gradual. Dancers should train for several years in soft slippers before they wear pointe shoes. Then only a few minutes of each class are devoted to special pointe exercises. Eventually dancers progress to wearing pointe shoes for half, or all of class.
The pain of pointe work discourages beginners and plagues even professionals. Dancers use lambs wool or toe pads under their toes to make pointe dancing more bearable. However, crude, bulky pads and excessive lambs' wool prevent proper fit and deprive the dancer of her essential ability to "feel the floor".
Browse our Online Catalog where you can
shop online for the best pointe shoes as well as all your favorite
dancewear apparel. If you do not find what you are looking for, please
contact us with your request for a special order.
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