All About Shoe Elastics

New ballet shoes come with different elastic configurations.  Some come with the elastics entirely detached.  Some come with a single elastic across the instep.  Some come with crisscrossed elastics anchored at mid-shoe and near the heel.  Some come with elastics anchored only on one end with the other end hanging free for you to sew on as you prefer.

Whatever elastics and configuration your shoes come with, know that you can either stick with what you have, or you can change them to suit your personal preference.

Here are two good videos showing how to attach elastics to ballet shoes.  The first video shows how to sew on single elastics; the second video shows how to sew on double/crisscross elastics.  You can use the basic information in these videos when reconfiguring the elastics your shoes came with.

See more ideas below, for how to customize your elastics to make your shoes more comfortable and functional!

Now that you know how to sew on elastics, let's talk about personalizing yours.

Tools you'll need:

• Heavy Duty thread (a.k.a. Quilter's Thread) in a color to match your shoes, if you prefer.
• A mid-sized sewing needle; not too thick, but not too thin.
• A thimble (optional) or a spoon, for pushing the needle through as you stitch.
• Sharp scissors, for cutting your elastic and thread.
• Seem ripper (optional), for unstitching the old elastics.  You can also use small scissors or a razor blade (VERY CAREFULLY!).
• Candle or cigarette lighter (optional), for singeing the ends of the elastics to keep them from fraying.
• A pencil or tailor's chalk, for marking where to sew your elastics to the shoes.
• Safety pins for pinning your elastics to the shoes, to try out different lengths and placements.
• Elastic of your choice.  You can find colored (white, black, tan and pink) elastics to match your shoes at any dancewear store.  Braided elastic is standard; some stores offer "invisible" elastic but it's mostly used for pointe shoes.   You can also find standard braided elastic to your local sewing/craft store; they will typically stock white and black elastic.  If you're really lucky, they may also stock beige or pink.   Look for braided elastic that is between 1/2-inch and 1-inch width.  A wider elastic (e.g. 1-inch) won't "cut" into your foot as much and may feel a little more comfortable.

Too-loose elastics:  If you have small-volume feet or low insteps, you may find that your shoe elastics are too loose.  When this is the case, your shoes may feel floppy or twisty on your feet, or the elastics may be baggy across the tops of your feet.  This is an easy fix!  Just unstitch one end of each elastic from the shoe, try out shorter lengths using safety pins, then when you find the perfect length, re-sew the elastics back onto your shoe. 

Too-tight elastics:  If you have high-volume feet or high insteps, you may find that your shoe elastics are too tight.  When this is the case, you may get "hot" red marks across the top of your foot after wearing your shoes.  To fix this, you'll need to remove the existing elastics and replace them with longer ones.  Cut elastic lengths that are a 2-3 inches longer than the ones your shoes came with.  Try out longer lengths using safety pins, then when you find the perfect length, sew the new elastics onto your shoe. 

Baggy heel:  If your shoes came with just one elastic across the instep, and the elastic is too far forward, your shoe may feel baggy or loose in the heel.  To fix this problem, remove the existing elastics and either replace them with two elastics in a crisscross configuration, or move the single elastic anchor points back toward the heel a little bit.  Use your safety pins to try out different anchor points until you find one that works for you.

Baggy mid-shoe:  If your shoes came with elastics anchored too far back, the mid-section of the shoe may feel or look baggy under your pointed arch. To fix this problem, remove the existing elastics and either replace them with a two elastics in a crisscross configuration, or move the single elastic anchor points forward toward the mid-shoe a little bit.  If the shoes already have crisscross elastics, try moving the front anchor points a little farther forward on the shoe.

Irritating elastic ends:  Sometimes, the end of the pre-sewn elastics, inside your shoes, may stick out a little and irritate your foot.  One option is to re-do your elastics entirely.  If you do this, make the "tails" of the elastics longer, so you can tack them to the fabric inside the shoe to prevent them from popping out and  rubbing your foot. Another option is to use your needle and thread to tack down the end of the existing elastic, against the shoe lining, so the elastic ends don't stick out.  A super-quick fix is to use some cloth athletic tape to tape over the elastic end, inside the shoe.

Old, frayed, non-stretchy elastics:  If the elastics on your shoes have become old and frayed, or have lost their stretch, CONTRATULATIONS!  You've been dancing in your old friends for quite a while!  Time to take off those old elastics and give your shoes some fresh ones.  You can either put on new elastics that are the same size, type and configuration as the old ones, or you can experiment with one of the different options above.