Pointe Shoes

Pointe Shoes or Toe Shoes

The idea of the pointe shoe stems from  Charles Didelot's 1970s flying machine, in which dancers were rigged to wires so they could appear to fly or float and create a weightless moment.

In 1823, Italian dancer Amalia Brugnoli introduced pointework to ballet audiences, rising up to the tips of her toes in Armand Vestris' La Fée et le Chevalier, which caused the audience to go crazy. She was able to accomplish this because the fashion of the time was a very square-toe shoe, and with sheer strength, she pulled her body up. This started Italian shoemakers to start perfecting the aesthetic.

The evolution of pointe shoes continued with the creation of the first contemporary ones. These were crafted by the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova and Salvatore Capezio, who inserted an unbreakable leather sole into her shoe due to her high arches. This marked a significant advancement in the design and functionality of pointe shoes.

The pointe shoe, an essential piece of ballet footwear, is widely attributed to being perfected by the Italian shoemaker Salvatore Capezio in the late 19th century. Building upon earlier designs, Capezio developed the iconic sturdy, boxy toe construction that allowed ballerinas to dance on the tips of their toes, giving the illusion of weightlessness and effortless grace. The pointe shoe revolutionized ballet by enabling dancers to perform technically demanding movements with poise and elegance. Capezio's innovation continues to influence the design and construction of pointe shoes, ensuring that ballet dancers can continue to achieve the ethereal beauty and technical precision that define classical ballet performances.

As the pointe technique advanced, so did the shoe. Stronger boxes were needed, and the satin was reinforced with paper mâché. But pointe shoes then progressed even further with the introduction of artificial resins and lower profiles. Finally, pointe shoes were then manufactured in other colors besides pink and white, allowing dancers of color to extend their line. Entering the contemporary age, politics, and notions of gender are being challenged, and now men have started using the pointe technique. Not just for fun, but as a part of the repertory.

Pancaking (Nude Pointe Shoes)
Pancaking is the process in which dancers use foundation, paint, or dye to make shoes match their skin tone.

Darning
The process of embroidery stitching using embroidery thread or upholstery thread to make the box of the shoe sturdier. This allows for more traction against the floor and a slightly wider platform.

Glueing
The process that dancers will use to re-harden their shoe by using an epoxy.