Expert: Dianne M. Buxton - 6/30/2010

Question
Hi,
  I got my first pair of pointe shoes at the end of May, and they are Russian Pointe Entradas. When I first took class in them, I couldn't get over my box or really see much of an arch in the shoe. I went online and did dome research on how to break in my shoes, and I ended up turning over the pointe shoe so that the bottom was facing up, and bending the shank where my heel and arch met. Doing this helped, but I still wasn't over my box and and I continued to bend my shoes in the same way. Today I was looking at my shoes, and I flexed the spot where I had broken it in and it was really flexible. When I looked at the shank more closely, the inner shank was detaching from the shoe. I put tacky glue (like craft glue) underneath the inner shank where is was detaching. Basically, I would really like to get your opinion on what to do. Was it a good idea to glue the shoe? Did I over break-in the shank? If I did, what do I do about it?

Thanks,
Lauren

Answer
Hi Lauren. It sounds like you may have over-done the breaking in. New pointe shoes can feel very awkward and it takes some experience to know how much the strength of your feet will break the shoe - and how much you need to help with the method you used.

It is fine that you used the glue. Now that the shank is broken, it is up to your foot muscles to control you NOT going farther than over the box - to hold you right on the the platform.

If you want some exercises that develop the exact foot muscles to do this, take a look at The Perfect Pointe Book at this link:

http://www.linkbrander.com/go/70655     you can hear how the author describes it and see if it is something that you want. I think it is excellent.

All the best with your pointe work!