Expert: Dianne M. Buxton - 2/5/2010

Question
Hello!

I am a 40+ adult who has been doing light pointe work for the last several months.  I was forewarned that pointe "is supposed to hurt," but I'm wondering if the pain I am experiencing is the sort everyone is talking about.  After several exercises at the barre, I start to feel unbearable pressure on my pinkie toe whenever rolling through demi-pointe. It gets so bad that I can't walk properly--I hobble.  I don't get the overt sensation of sinking down in the shoe, but it does seem that the toes are tightly wedged into the box when this happens.  The other pain is in the joints of my big toe and comes on after about an hour of class.  Again, the feeling is one of pressure, which grows progressively worse the longer I am in the shoe.  Once the shoes are off, the joints will ache for hours afterward.  Is this just a matter of age, or could the problem be that the shoes don't fit properly, such as being too big, too tapered, too narrow, etc?

If the problem is the fit, could you educate me as to what to ask for during a fitting?  I bought these shoes from the store recommended by my teacher, and indeed, the one with the best reputation in my state, but the manager there has already fit me incorrectly twice (too big, by her own admission; too narrow, according to my teacher and my inability to dance in them), so I don't have the greatest confidence in her judgment.  The two other stores I can go to don't have the best reputations, but if I know what to ask for, I could at least try them.  By the way, in case you were wondering, the pair I am currently wearing was meant for my left foot, which the manager said was wider than my right, but when I measured my feet, their widths are the same.  The pinkie pain is felt in both feet, but the joint pain is mostly on the right foot.  

Thank you for any help you can provide!

Answer
Hi Gayle. No, dancing in pointe shoes should not hurt the way you are describing.

It does seem that your shoes do not fit...regarding your pinkie toes, I'm thinking that they may be getting compressed by the edge of the box, which does not impinge on the other metatarsal joints, but squishes the pinkies. The joints should be covered by the fabric only, not the stiff material. In which case you need a shoe with more fabric and less box on the vamp, and perhaps wider, or more square-shaped.

The shoes need to fit when you demi plie in second position, to accommodate the spread that occurs when you bend your knees. Standing on a piece of paper and drawing your foot shape should help  a fitter. Also have it drawn when in plie. I suggest you do go to the other ballet shoe stores. Tell them you are going to try on many shoes, different brands and that you may not buy any. (Of course if you do find the right shoes, you will always be their customer). Try on every variation possible.

If the fit issues do not resolve (and resolve the pain), I recommend that you find a physiotherapist or chiropractor in your area, hopefully one that has had some experience with ballet dancers. Your dance school might suggest one.

If not, call the nearest ballet company or professional ballet school and ask who their dancers see. You may have arthritis in your big toe joints - and you may need to strengthen your intrinsic foot muscles with specific exercises used to prepare for pointe work, to unburden that joint, which may solve your problem.

In the meantime use ice after class for your big toe joint pain - wrap a small towel-covered ice pack around the toe for just a few minutes since it is a tiny area, and repeat after an hour if it's still hurting.

There are some tips in these articles:

http://balletshoesandpointeshoes.blogspot.com/2009/09/fitting-ballet-pointe-shoe...

http://balletshoesandpointeshoes.blogspot.com/2008/02/get-exactly-right-fit-and-...

I hope this has helped Gayle. Pointe shoe fitting can be tricky at first, and I can't help much more since I can't see your feet. I'm sure there is a shoe out there for you!

All the best, Dianne.