Darn Pointe shoes!

As promised, I am writing a quick guide on what to do about the ends of your pointe shoes.  I have leant many things from my first few pairs of pointe and I just thought I would share with you a few points.  

Disclaimer:  These are only my opinions from my experiences using each method - It is by no means stating the 'best' or 'worst' methods or materials.

Back when I was a teen,  I didn't have the luxury to say 'Oopsie, that didn't work'.  My pointés had to last me a good while so whatever I'd done to my shoes - I had to live with it for a long while.  Whether it be white-washing them or sewing on ribbons in a peculiar way. Because of this, every time I prepared my shoes in a different way, I got a full experience of how it felt to dance in them.

Fully darning with crochet thread

This looks so pretty when it is done correctly.  I used to love spending time doing this properly.  You have to use a chain stitch to spiral right from the centre of the tip, all the way to the outside.  Be sure to go slightly over the edge for stability.  Then stitch from the sole of the shoe on he pleats and the side wings.

Pros: 

• Looks wonderful and very neat.
• Gives a great platform and 'softens' the sound of the shoe AND the impact on your joints.
• Gives an extra bit of grip as opposed to the open satin.

Cons:

• Takes a VERY long time if you've never done it before. (If you are likely to keep going through your shoes quickly - this probably isn't ideal.
• It IS a little complicated if sewing isn't your thing
• I found it isn't actually not the most slip-resistant material- it is very good - but not great to have all over the platform.

Suede Toe Tips

This is so easy and a lot of dancers like to do this , especially for people who don't like sewing or can't sew- or for people who go through shoes very quickly.  Speedy and convenient.  I used these for a few of my pairs.  Just simply cut the tip to size and length you need from the sole to the platform.  It should just fit snugly to keep the sole and toe tip in line with each other.

Pros:

• Quick and easy to apply
• Give good friction to begin with - better than the open satin.
• Looks nice and neat, a simple clean look to your shoe.

Cons:

• Depending on what glue you get to apply these, they can catch on the floor and become loose with frequent dancing.  Very irritating to keep adjusting/fixing/applying more glue.
• They don't ever fix exactly to your shoe just the way you want
• After the first month or so of dancing, the suede wears down and actually becomes more slippery than the open satin! It starts to look black.  This is the suede wearing off and I personally wouldn't use these any more.  I was attracted to them for ease of use but they aren't the best long term for people who don't change their shoes every week or so. You are better off just spending a little more time with a different method.

Ripping and darning

Saving the best 'til last.  This method was and is my favourite.  I did it for my last pair and I've now used the method for my new pair after all these years.  You don't need as much sewing ability as option number 1, but you do need a little patience and skill.  

Get your scissors and make a cut into part of the satin on the platform.  Cut all the way around in a circular pattern right to the edge.  Then rip the rest of the satin down over the pleats to reveal the canvas material.  Then stitch just one row of chain stitching all the way around the platform (slightly over the edge), making sure to catch the canvas too so you are stitching the two materials together.  Otherwise you will just end up with the satin stitched and flapping away from the canvas!!  You can stitch right down to the sole if you like - I just prefer the stability of leaving that part free.  

I LOVE this one for overall durability and it is my fave method hands down.

Pros

• Relatively quick to do if you have a few basic sewing skills.  Much quicker than method 1.
• The canvas has optimum grip I found compared to suede, fully darned and bare platforms.  It will also last.  Even if it wears down - it doesn't lose friction.
• The 'platform' created by the darning creates stability when going en pointe - gives you an extra sturdy base to work with.
• Ripping the satin off to the canvas across the pleats underneath also prevents slipping when you do a posé into arabesque etc. (Obviously nothing can completely protect you from this and you really need to get over your box and 'push forward' when you are going up en pointe- but I think this method helps counteract this the most)

Cons

• If you have absolutely NO sewing skills whatsoever - this could prove a little tricky.  Have a go!  Plenty of tutorials floating around on youtube.

So there you have it.  My opinions on what the heck to do with the bottom of your pointe shoes!  I hope you've found it helpful.  Feel free to ask any questions - or if you have any tips, that would be great too!