Ballet Pointe Shoes aka Toe Shoes

Ballet dancers invest time, money, and energy in finding the right shoes for their feet. For professional dancers, the shoes may be paid for by the dance company. Students, and their parents or guardians, often pay for the shoes themselves. Pointe shoes normally cost from $40 to $90 a pair, an expensive proposition given that advanced students may use up one pair a week or more.

A variety of dance stores and online dance outlets can help with the purchase of pointe shoes. New dancers benefit from the personal fitting provided at local dance stores. An example is the Empire Dance Shop, in Spokane, Washington. Owned and operated by professional dancers, Philip and Sally Broadbent, the store staff help fit dancers from local studios, as well as taking visiting trips to studios around the area.

For online purchases, ask other dancers and dance teachers, and research sites. Dancers who are familiar with pointe shoes and the individual needs of their feet are better able to navigate the many choices of pointe shoes available on these types of sites. It's easy to find the classically-known dance shoe companies such as Capezio and Freed, along with other popular companies such as Bloch, Grishko, and Sansha.

Many of the online dance sites provide videos of dancers on pointe. Pointe Shoes Online lists shoe companies. Click on "Sansha" for a selction of videos of dancers working on pointe, as well as the unusual combination of toe tap, pointe shoes with taps.