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The sole/shank will be flexible and will be able to bend up to 45 degrees (or more each way).
{From experience: my inner sole completely broke in 2, I had to get another pair a short time after the previous pair; mainly because I tried to break into them with my hands rather than feet, I recommend you do not try this with pointe shoes in the future.}
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How do you make your pointe shoes shiny?
Pointe shoes come shiny. If the shine in your pointe shoes is gone, it probably means it was a) worn out or b) rubbed off with a chemical. You can not make them shiny again. Purchase new ones. ;)
Why do you need to wear down pointe shoes?
You need to do this so they are easier to dance in and so they mold to your feet. If they are too worn down get new ones.
How can you make homemade pointe shoes?
ABSOLUTLEY NOT! It would be very dangerous. Pointe shoes allow a dancer to go up on her toes in ballet. Only under the recommendation of her instructors is a dancer who is at least 12 with very good ballet technique allowed to go en pointe! After recommendation of your instructor you go to a local dance store and you are fitted for your first pair of pointe shoes. The fitting may take very long because it is so crucial to get the perfect fit for your foot type. These pointe shoes are made of VERY special material by shoe-makers called cobblers. There is absolutely NO WAY you could make your own pointe shoes. You need very special machines and tools. I'm sorry, but yes you do need to spend about $45-90 every time you need a new pair of pointe shoes. There is no way around this, but you can buy Jet Box Glue to help your pointe shoes last longer. I heard this helps a lot! Many online dance stores carry them.
How do you tell when pointe shoes are worn out?
Pointe shoes have a different lifespan for each dancer. It all depends on how often you wear them, how good of an arch you have, and what you're doing in them, etc. I've had mine for a year and just now need new ones, but my dance teacher gets new ones every month or so. Like I said, it all depends. One way to tell is just by bending them (not on your feet). With one hand on the box and the other on the heel, bend them together. If they bend too easily they're worn out. Also if they bend easily when on pointe, or you find it harder to releve, they're too soft. Also, ask your dance teacher. They know best and can tell you if you need new pointe shoes! Another good way to tell is by going up to releve and looking at the knuckle of your big toe. If it is bending (called knuckling) this means your shoes are dead and you need new ones.
What is the future of the ballet shoe?
Long explantion of pointe shoe history (skip this if you already know about pointe shoes ) I haven't heard anything about ballet shoes (canvas or leather soft shoes) changing besides companies maybe finding better (lighter and more durable) materials to make them out of. Pointe shoes on the other hand are consistently changing. Originally, pointe shoes used to be made out of wood and very hard materials. This was okay at the beginning of pointe work just because dancers didn't have the feet and strength dancers have today. Over time though, the pointe shoe has become relatively soft compared to its ancestors. Now pointe shoes are made of layers of fabric and paste. This allows the pointe shoe to be softer and more flexible.New advances in pointe shoe technologyGaynor MindenRecently new advances in pointe shoes include a flexible plastic shank introduced by the pointe shoe company Gaynor Minden. They advertise this new shank as long lasting and a pointe shoe that it has the feeling of an already broken shank (leather sole that supports the foot). I personally know a girl who has amazing feet and has worn both Russians and Gaynor Minden pointe shoes. She said that Gaynor's really require a lot of foot strength via the flexible shank, versus the Russians which have support, but die easily.NikeThe most interesting advancement in pointe shoes (and probably why you wrote this question) is Nike's concept idea of a sport pointe shoe. Released last year, this concept sports a black pointe shoe made of some durable, yet flexible material that can supposedly last way longer than normal pointe shoes. As i said earlier, this is a CONCEPT. As we have seen this year, Nike has already started to dabble in the dance field, by introducing their "Studio Wrap" shoes. If Nike indeed decides to pursue this concept, I think there will a lot of resistance. Ballet is know as a graceful and classical sport/art form, and bringing in a modren looking shoe might upset people. In addition, most pointe shoe companies have been making pointe shoes for around a hundred years. This has lead to multiple versions of pointe shoes and extensive knowledge of the pointe shoe. Unless Nike gets some very knowledgeable pointe shoe manufactories on its side, I think no dancer will take the product seriously.
