Ballet shoes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not all ballet shoes have reinforced tips for dancing en pointe, exercises on the barre are done wearing light, soft shoes.

Ballet shoes, or ballet slippers, are specially designed light shoes for ballet dancing. They can be made of leather, for durability, or canvas. It is also possible to have a split sole or a full sole. A split sole allows the dancer more flexibility in the foot. Ballet shoes are soft shoes worn by ballet dancers until their bones are ossified and their muscles strong enough for them to use pointe shoes, which allow them to stand on the tips of their toes (en pointe). Male dancers almost exclusively wear soft ballet shoes, as they very rarely go en pointe.

Occasionally, dancers wear ballet slippers to begin a lesson, usually with barre work (la barre) then wear their pointe shoes for the floor or center exercises, or "milieu". Most often, though, dancers take a regular class on flat (in soft ballet shoes) or a pointe class en pointe.

Leather shoes are used most often by young children or beginning ballet dancers, simply because leather is much harder than fabric and provides a bit more support for foot work. Because leather is harder than fabric, leather ballet shoes are often worn by beginners to strengthen the feet since pointing the foot is more difficult in leather, full-soled shoes. Also, leather shoes last much longer than fabric shoes, which is why many children wear them. Fabric shoes are worn when the dancer achieves a certain level of practise and does not need so much foot support.

The term also applies to an extreme form of high-heeled shoe, not designed for fashion or walking, but as fetish wear. Ballet shoes usually come in a satiny pink color or black.