Have you ever tried on toe shoes?

Question

I'm a dancer and I've been taking ballet the longest. Out of curiosity, do they hurt? I have some and they don't hurt as much as other people say they do. And they have the plastic ones. I have the wooden box. (I have a high arch so I had to start out with them.) Well any way, I just wanted to poll my fellow ballerinas!

Answer 1

I have been on pointe for about six years now, but very little during the first few years. If you only dance en pointe a little bit, it will probably be painful while you are dancing, but the pain will not last long after you are done. The real pain comes when you have hours of rehearsal on pointe (the worst for me was the corps de ballet of Swan Lake, and then rehearsing both Snow and Flowers from The Nutcracker back to back) for multiple days in a row. I think that the pain is more noticeable when I am standing around waiting to make an entrance on stage, rather than when I am actually dancing, because the dancing usually requires every bit of attention I can give it. I also have extremely high arches and hyperextended legs, and I am fortunate to have these as a dancer, I also know that they can be difficult to work with. You need to always make sure your pointe shoes support your arches well and that you do not roll over the box (mostly the tip of the toe) too much. I have tried on virtually every pointe shoe I can get my hands on (capezio, russian pointe, gaynors (those are the plastic ones,) sanchas, etc) but have mostly alternated between Freed and Bloch. Make sure to do lots of extra releves en pointe to strengthen your beautiful high arches, and I hope your feet continue to not hurt!

* In case yor feet do ever begin to hurt after being on pointe, putting your feet in a bucket of ice water for 10 minutes afterwards works wonders. It hurts a lot at first from the cold, but your feet build up a tolerance after doing this several times, and it makes it possible to get up the next day and dance without any pain!

Answer 2

Okay first, they are more commonly called pointe shoes?? And second, they no longer make pointe shoes with wood in the box. The shoes are made hard by many layers of canvas and glue. I have been en pointe for 4 years, and it hurts a lot, but that is part of being a dancer. I love pointe, I would never think of quitting. Also, the "plastic" shoes you mentioned are most likely Gaynor Mindens, and most people would say that they are easier and hurt less than normal pointe shoes. Oh well, I guess some people just have a lower pain tollerance, I have no idea how they could be dancers. Pain is a major part of all types of dance, if it doesnt hurt, you are probably not doing it correctly. If you cant stand pain, quit dance now cuz it never goes away...

Good luck and happy dancing!!

Answer 3

I've been dancing for four years, and I've been on pointe for four years now. My toes only really hurt when I first started, and when I have to break new shoes in; otherwise I don't think it hurts that much. I also just use lambs wool; I haven't tried the gel pads, but the lambs wool provides enough cushion for me. What brand are your pointe shoes? Mine are Bloch Heritage, and I love them!

Answer 4

i haven't taken ballet in years!! but when i did take it i tried on a pair, but they didn't really hurt that much...probably because i used to walk on my tippy toes for fun when i was little, and i didn't wear them very long. i agree with whoever said they have to fit very well....they are a lot like the dance shoes i wear for my Highland dance (ghillies) whichi are always ordered a few sizes smaller so you really have to cram your fet in them to have points and flexes look right. also, stuff cotton bals in the end of your shoe if they hurt. when i was about 4 or 5 and taking ballet since we weren't allowed to wear pointe shoes, we stuffed cotton in the toe so it wouldn't hurt when we were on our toes.

Answer 5

I took pointe for two years and they hurt! I recently found my shoes and tried them on and they still hurt... But I do believe that they were fitted wrong because even when I slipped them on without lacing, they hurt. If I actually had shoes that fit properly, who knows? Maybe they wouldn't hurt as bad.

Answer 6

My daughter took ballet for years. Pointe was difficult for her. She spent hours trying to find the right fit every year. And her teacher refused to allow them to use gel pads because she wanted them to "feel the floor". They could only use lamb's wool, but some girls stuffed Kleenex in their shoes and she allowed that also. She finally quit because it was tough on her feet and ankles - - - she said she just wasn't built like a ballerina - - - most of the girls in her class were super skinny. I think she misses ballet, because it taught her a lot.

Answer 7

No. Only sleazy girls do that because kinky guys get off on feet. Besides, slip-on sloppy sandals are the sure sign of EASY! Slip-on, slip-off. Look around at every sleazy girl you've ever known, from Hollywood actresses to the town ho.. What kind of shoes are they wearing? I guarantee they are wearing some form of open-toed heels or sandals. Skanks are really into their feet.

Answer 8

When you first start out in them they hurt like mad but you get used to them after a while but they r still painful pointe is not a comfortable form of ballet.

Answer 9

i take pointe and honestly it never really hurts unless my pointe shoes are "dead." when you say plastic shoes i think you are talking about gaynor mindens. They last a very long time and i have a lot of friends who like them and wear them. they also last twice as long as normal wooden pointes shoes.

Answer 10

Yes I take pointe class. It hurts, but not as much as people think, because you have pads in them.jellypads, jelly inside of fabric pads, etc.I never heard of plastic pointe shoes!!! pointe shoes have to fit juuuuuust rite. room to grow:NOT ALLOWED!