Choose Your Shoes

If you're new to ballet, choosing shoes can be overwhelming.  There are a number of brands and styles, and until you get to know your personal preferences, deciding is difficult.

Tiekka, at Everyday Ballet, has a wonderful video with lots of information about how to pick a pair of soft ballet slippers that will work for you.

Click here to watch her video on YouTube.

You can also check out our Class Guide for more information on shoes.  Below are some other tips to consider when selecting your shoes, and some hacks for customizing them once you've made your purchase:

• Our class is held in a gym with a finished wooden floor that is slicker than the vinyl floors found in most dance studios.  Leather shoes will feel more "grippy" on the gym floor, whereas canvas shoes will feel more "slidey."
  
  
• If you've never bought ballet shoes before, going in person to a dancewear store is really helpful, because the store associates can help you try on many pairs to see what works best for you.  (The Class Guide lists stores in our area.)  Don't be afraid to tell them you're new to ballet, so they can help guide you to the right shoe.
  
  
• If the shoes you bought feel a little too loose, wearing a thin pair of ped-style socks inside the shoes can fill the extra space.  Tightening the draw strings can also help, but be sure not to make them so tight that they cut into your heels.
  
  
• If the shoes you bought feel a little too tight, you can force them to loosen up a little by wetting a pair of ped-style socks with rubbing alcohol, then putting on the socks and shoes, and walking around the house in them, for about an hour.  Then take the shoes off and set them aside to dry.  Do this a few times until they feel a looser on your bare foot.
  
  
• Check out the blog posts: "All about Shoe Elastics" and "Hiding Pesky Drawstrings."
  
  
• If you're in class and find that your shoes are too slick on the floor, dampening the leather soles with a moist paper towel will make them more "grippy.
  
  
• If you're in class and find that your shoes are too sticky, rubbing a little baby powder into the leather sole with make them more "slidey."