Pointe shoes were designed to elongate the leg and give dancers an ethereal look. Over the years, the shoes have changed and been redesigned to allow for safer and more prolonged periods dancing en pointe.
Traditional pointe shoes are made from a combination of cardboard, fabric and paste densely packed for the box (the area surrounding the toes) with a cardboard shank (the sole that supports the foot) and satin and leather outer materials. These shoes have always been made by hand.
As the science of pointe shoes has evolved, hybrid and synthetic shoes have also appeared on the scene. In these shoes either the box, shank or both are made with plastic polymer to allow for better longevity of the shoe and less of a breaking in process as the material cannot break down like the traditional style.
The shoe used by every dancer is completely personal with no one shoe being better than another as they all boast different benefits. It is always recommended to get your pointe shoes fitted by a professional.
