Pointe shoes—those tiny, shiny, glorified piñatas, which today, make it possible for ballerinas to dance complete, three-act ballets on their pointes . They can be expected to last anywhere from 3 months to 3 hours, depending on the demand placed on them. For a dancer in a professional company, they are considered work supplies, and the cost is put on the company she/he dances for. In the case of students, the cost of these educational tools, which can run between $40-$85 a pair, is often on the parents or the student themselves to cover. The more the student is dancing, the quicker this pointe shoe budget adds up. Why do the shoes break down so fast? The answer is simple: most pointe shoes are made from natural materials (leather, cardboard, burlap, layers of paper, glue, and satin). These materials create a supportive structure that is also pliable enough to move with the dancers feet. As the dancer’s feet bend a...
