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Dance Wear

Ballet Shoes

by Jill Morrison

Ballet shoes, also known as ballet slippers, are the most important tools for ballet dancers. They should provide comfort and support while allowing the ballerina to feel the floor for ballet performances. Dancers should take care in selecting ballet slippers according to fit, style, and preferred shoe materials.

When trying on ballet shoes, dancers should wear tights. This is a good idea because they will be wearing tights while performing in the slippers. After the shoes are on, dancers should stand flat in the slippers. Extra space should not be present at the toes, but toes should not curl under, either. After shoes are chosen, ballet dancers should sew elastic bands over the top of each shoe to prevent them from slipping off during a performance.

Types of Ballet Shoes

There are a few types of ballet shoes that are common among ballerinas. Capezio, Bloch, and Sansha provide the most popular styles of ballet slippers. Capezio features three main styles of ballet slippers. The Juliet has no center seam and is made from soft, durable leather for extra support. The Daisy has supple pink leather that matches Capezio pink tights perfectly. Finally, the Teknik style has soft leather, nylon binding, a cloth insole, and full suede leather soles.

The Dansoft style by Bloch has a cotton lining and a tough but flexible upper. Bloch's Prolite II is a split sole ballet slipper with a flexible canvas arch insert and a leather upper. Sansha makes a canvas split-sole ballet shoe that is completely hand-stitched. This style is very durable and is comfortable for ballet dancers. Most styles of ballet slippers are available in the colors of pink, black, peach, or white.

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