Ballet Shoes

There is something charming and romantic about ballet shoes. Ballet shoes suggest graceful, sweeping dance movements and romantic atmosphere. Ballet shoes have been incorporated in jewelry and ornaments. Baby ballet shoes are sentimental keepsakes. And ballet shoes and the dancers who wear them have been immortalized in the paintings of Cezanne, the great French impressionist.

The modern ballet shoe did not come into being until after the French Revolution, although ballet dancers performed some decades earlier. Women were not allowed on stage in Europe until 1681, and so female dancers appeared only after that time. And the first ballet shoes actually had heels, which limited certain kinds of leaps and postures.

In the early 1800's dance techniques advanced, and so did ballet shoe design. Ballet shoes no longer had heels and dancers could execute more difficult leaps. They also began to dance briefly on their toes, which audiences loved. Ballet shoes of the time, however, did not have adequate support for toe dancing. This came later with the pointe shoe.

Ballet shoes are made of leather or canvas. Ballet shoes of leather are more durable, but each piece of leather has slightly different texture so different ballet shoes feel different on the floor. Leather balletshoes should not be worn barefoot, as they cannot be washed. and also toenails can scratch and damage the interior. Canvas ballet shoes, however, are washable and are less expensive. Canvas ballet shoes are also less durable, however, and may only last for a few weeks on wood floors.

Ballet shoes should be carefully fitted. Ballet dancing can be very hard on the feet of dancers, and ballet shoes should be perfectly fit to prevent excess damage to toes, joints and arches. Ballet shoes should be tried on before purchase, after the feet have exercised and are at their largest, otherwise the ballet shoes may fit too tightly when worn during dancing. Ballet shoes should have plenty of toe room as well, but should not be loose overall. The same care should be exercised in buying ballet shoes as when buying various types of athletic shoes designed to protect the feet during specific activities.

Ballet shoes have changed and evolved in design and structure as ballet dancing has evolved from the late 17th centurn to today. As dancing techniques have improved, become more intricate and athletic, ballet shoes have modified design to accommodate modern ballet dancing. Concommitantly, improved design in the shoe, including the pointe shoe, have enabled dancers to execute more difficult routines.

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