Is it possible to remove a plank for a pointe ballet shoe?

Question

I have already asked a question on pointe ballet shoes for prom and the answers were great. But now im wanting to know if you could remove the shank or plank(the board where the toes are) bc i found the shoes i want....here is the link...and it describes whats in it and everything...it even comes with gel toe pads..so please let me know..thanks


http://www.dancewearsolutions.com/default.asp?STYLENUMBER=0052&CATEGORY=Shoes&Subcategory=Pointe

IM NOT A DANCER...GEESH! i just want to wear them to prom...the first responder needs to get a life!!!

Answer 1

You have some very good answers here, please take them to heart.

Yes, you can remove the shank and many dancers do this as a way to practice in their shoes without going en pointe. Many dance schools will even require young dancers to start dancing in shoes like this before they actually go en pointe.
The shank is the leather and composite strip that goes along the bottom of the shoe, it's the part you stand on when your feet are flat on the floor.

BUT with that being said it will NOT make the shoe more comfortable for you. The box of the shoe is the part that is around your toes, this is what will be very uncomfortable. This box is made to stay very stiff and rigid for quite sometime so that dancers can use the shoes for a long period of time before having to buy a new pair. A dancer who is dancing regularly in her pointe shoes will take anywhere from 4 to 6 months before that hard box is softened up so much she can't dance in them any longer.

There is no magic way to make that stiff box soft enough for you to wear them to prom. And you can't take the box out without permanently damaging the shoe, the shoe would look tattered and disfigured.

I answered your first question on this topic and the reality is if you want to be able to dance at prom and walk around the room without limping and being in pain, you need to stick to regular leather or satin ballet slippers.

Someone commented on the ribbon issue. She is right, many non-dancers do not know that the ribbons do not come sewn on the shoes, this itself takes most new dancers quite some time to get the hang of.

What you really want to do is buy the slippers, either leather or satin and buy ribbons and sew then on the slippers. This way you will get the look of the ribbons around the ankle, and you won't end up with hurting, blistered feet at the end of the evening. The slippers are comfortable and you'll enjoy dancing in them on prom night.

I don't mean to sound so discouraging, and I understand the look you are trying to have with your prom dress (I debated wearing my pointe shoes for my wedding....I didn't because of the comfort factor, and I had dance en pointe for years!!) But you will be happier going with the slippers.

Here's an idea......go to a dance shop and have a pair of pointe shoes fitted to your feet. Then walk around the dance shop for a while and really focus in on how the shoes feel on your feet. They will not feel any different prom night for 3 or 4 hours. Perhaps you will understand after having them on your feet a few minutes.

Answer 2

well, the point of pointe shoes is the shank! They are the things that keep the shoe together and hold your arch in shape, without it, the shoe falls apart. But wait, you said the board where the toes are. One problem, there isn't a board there, its stiffened plaster and cotton. No actual board, unless it has a cushion. You say you're not a dancer. I strongly suggest against NOT wearing these to the prom; you think they look cool, but they are tools, used by serious dancers, they are not to mess around with. You need to have been trained and strengthen your muscles for Years before you can put a pair on. It could damage your feet and legs soooo badly if you put them on improperly or don't know what you're doing. You could wind up with broken toes, ankles, achilles tendon(which sometimes doesn't heal) and more, all of which is really hard to fix. Plus, pointe shoes are not at all comfortable, especially if you buy the right size. You see, pointe shoes only fit properly if they are two sizes smaller than your foot because they need to fit so tightly. They are uncomfortable for even the most experienced of dancers, and you will not have a good time on prom if you have blisters all over your toes, heels and your ankles swell. Trust me, it will not be fun.

Answer 3

The first responder is wrong. Yes, you can remove the shank. I did that with all my pointe shoes when they got too soft to actually dance on pointe (it's not safe if they get too worn in). After I ripped out the shank, I used them as regular ballet shoes to continue practicing with the same balance I would need if I wore pointe shoes, but without wearing my feet out by being on pointe for several hours every day.

If you look at your shoes, the shank is nailed in with small nails. I usually started by ripping at the edges of the shank at the back of the shoe. Once you get that a little removed from the shoe take a hammer and use the back of it to pull out the nails. If you don't know how to remove nails, you can ask your dad or someone who does, but it's really not hard. Then just throw the shanks away. If you manage to rip the shank out without taking out the nails, you will still want to take out the nails, because they could hurt your feet. So make sure those nails get taken out.

Good luck and have fun at prom!

Answer 4

I'd like to follow up on what ballet_babe10 is saying - about not being able to remove the hard box at the toe.

Have you ever seen and handled a pointe shoe? They really won't flatter your feet and I think they would make you look and dance really awkwardly. The box extends the length of your foot, so it would be sort of like walking around in clown shoes. That's why people have been saying to simply wear ballet slippers, if you must, because they would conform to the shape of your foot. The box also clunks on the floor, which is why dancers must learn how to step quietly in them. Finally, they just won't be comfortable and you stand a very high chance of getting blisters, just like any dancer who is just getting used to pointe shoes.

Blisters don't occur just from trying to go up "en pointe" (the very tip of your toes - which you should never do without proper training), but also at the sides of your feet where your toes bend from going on "demi-pointe." The pointe shoe is hard there and must be broken in properly. And even when pointe shoes are broken in properly, all beginners get blisters. It's a fact of life for dancers; they often dance with bleeding feet. Why on earth would you want this?

Pointe shoes might seem glamorous, but they are a specialized tool for dancing a specialized style that requires lots and lots of training to do correctly. You'd be just as comfortable going to the prom in ice skates.

Answer 5

It is physically possible to remove the shank, yes. But if you're not dancing in them, and you're not used to pointe shoes, they will be really uncomfortable for a prom. Also, the soles are not suitable to wear outside, or on floors that aren't dance floors - they will slip terribly on carpet, damage the shoes on gravel or concrete or outdoors, and let in any water or liquid from the floor. Also, pointe shoes are extremely flat - the sole is much thicker under the toe than it is under the heel, so when you're standing flat, your heels feel lower than your toes, which can feel very odd, and make your legs look much shorter than they are.

I'd recommend some ballet style shoes that are designed for actual wear, rather than ballet shoes. But if you've got your heart set on them, then go for it, but be prepared for them to be unwearable after the night of your prom, and for them to be uncomfortable on the night.

By the way - you do know that the ribbons won't be attached when you buy them, don't you? I don't mean that to sound patronising, but non dancers often don't realise that. You will have to sew them on yourself, and learn how to tie them neatly.

Answer 6

It's a horrible idea to buy them on ebay. Once your figure out a size that works for you in the DANCE STORE, you can buy them in bulk which is a TON cheaper! That's the good news. But first you have to be able to try them on and get the feel of them before you purchase them... it's your first time ever! Also, sweetie, you have to buy separate padding. I suggest gel pads or Ouch-Pouches, because they allow you to feel the floor without killing your poor little toesies. Last thing: if you have a little gap in between your big and second toes or in between any of your smaller toes, you need things called Space Paks. What they do is they fill in the gap so that your toes don't collapse on each other and get crushed and broken while you're dancing on pointe. They would tell you all of this in the ballet store, because they're experts, so PLEASE go there! I'm begging you!!! Good luck on pointe!

Answer 7

you can rip out the shank, but i wouldnt reccomend wearing it to prom. there is no such thing as a 'plank' in the shoe. the are around the toes is called the toe box, and the flat tip is called the platform. the entire platform/toebox are made of layers of glue and fabric, with one layer of satin on the outside. so you definitely cant remove it. but a warning, the inside of pointe shoes is very rough especially the bottom if you rip out the shank. you will get blisters, sore spots on your toes, etc, especially if you're just orering a pair online without getting a proper fitting. so your feet end up looking like this http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m169/DanceOfTheHeart/palomasfeet.jpg they wont look graceful or nice on you, you will be waddling around the whole evening because the sole is very thick but narrower than your foot so its hard to balance on it (even with shank ripped out). also wearing pointes to prom will make you look really foolish to anyone who actually takes ballet, and wont make you look at all graceful to people who dont take it. and you wont know how to sew or tie the ribbons right (without ribbons they will fall off).

you should get 'ballet flats' not the real shoes for ballet but the ones in regular stores that are called ballet flats. if you want you can get these with the square tip like in a pointe shoe, except the rest of the shoe is still a normal shoe so you will look good in them and they wont hurt. like these http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2918062/0~2376778~2372808~2372904~2375549?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=2375549&P=1 http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2915741/0~2376778~2372808~2372904~2375549?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=2375549&P=1 http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2917826/0~2376778~2372808~2372904~2375549?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=2375549&P=1 http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2909624/0~2376778~2372808~2372904~2375549?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=2375549&P=1 http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2905732/0~2376778~2372808~2372904~2375549?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=2375549&P=1

Answer 8

i think youre talking about the shank...which you can remove, but if you mean the hard box where your toes go then no. the only way to get 'rid' of that is to soften your shoes and that takes forever heres a link to parts of a pointe shoe...

http://www.discountdancewear-cheer.com/images/Dance%20Body%20Wear/partspointe.jpg

Answer 9

why would you wear pointe shoes to a prom? that is just stupid.