Momling Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 My 11 yr old has only had pointe shoes for a year. She takes a ton of technique classes, but pointe class only once a week for 45 minutes and they're mostly at the barre anyway, so the shoes last pretty long right now. Her first pair, she grew out of after 4 months. She's had these shoes about 8 months and she said one of them is a little mushy and the other suddenly feels unsupportive and bendy. An older girl suggested using jet glue. Her teacher does the pointe shoe fittings, so I will talk to her this week to schedule, but I have a few questions for you... What is jet glue and what would a dancer do with it? How do you know that a shoe is truly dead? Her first shoes had a full 'soft' shank and these have a 3/4 "hard" shank. Does it matter? She has done great with both, but I read somewhere that a 3/4 shank shouldn't be used by beginners. True? Not true? Depends? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Jet Glue is NASTY smelling stuff (seriously have a well ventilated area before you apply it) that dancers apply to the box of the shoe to make them last a little while longer. You'll need 24 hours between applying the Jet Glue and wearing the shoe. Squeeze the sides of the box to puff it a bit, squirt in the Jet Glue (it's very runny...like water), and tilt the shoe back and forth to get the glue all over the box. Then let the shoes sit (ribbons and strings out) to dry for 24 hours. My dd is a professional ballerina, and she prefers dancing in "dead" shoes. Every dancer is different, so it's impossible to say when a shoe is dead...it's very individual. Your dd should be properly fitted at a dance store by someone who actually knows how to fit pointe shoes. It will take your dancer a while to figure out what she likes and needs in terms of a shoe, and then how she wants to modify and break-in that shoe before she wears it. My dd rips out most of her shank (she has them made with no nail in the heel portion), bangs the heck out of the box against the a brick wall or a concrete floor, and then has the male dancers jump up and down on them before they're "ready". Other dancers have different routines. She has a pointe shoe allowance of 10 pair per month now (cue the chorus of heavenly hosts), but when she was a student, I was spending over $400 a month for pointe shoes. Hold onto your hat mom, and hand over your checkbook. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murmer Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 What is jet glue and what would a dancer do with it? It is used to make the box a little harder again and get the shoe to last longer. How do you know that a shoe is truly dead? It depends, its a personal decision based on how they feel when your dancer is dancing in themHer first shoes had a full 'soft' shank and these have a 3/4 "hard" shank. Does it matter? She has done great with both, but I read somewhere that a 3/4 shank shouldn't be used by beginners. True? Not true? Depends? I think the reason some people don't recommend them for beginners is because most beginners need to strengthen their feet and having to roll through a full shank can help strengthen...but honestly it is more about what the teacher wants and what fits best when using a professional fitter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 The younger ones need a full shank until their feet get stronger, the full shank provides just a bit of support for the foot while on toe. Pointing the toe with a full shank is harder, which develops foot strength. Once the dancer is fully grown and has developed foot strength, she can usually wear shoes with a softer box and short shank. My feet got so strong and tough that the shoes were almost superfluous...the boxes were soft, I cut out the toes of my tights so there was no fabric between my feet and the shoes, no tape was needed, and the short shanks were beaten into submission very much like Diane described. My shoes were considered dead when I had worn through the toes or if a shank broke. However, I agree with Murmer..."dead" is a very subjective opinion and based on when the shoes stop being comfortable to dance in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 Yup, subjective. My dd likes her shoes pretty solid. She dances with a girl with drives over her shoes before she will dance in them. Seems weird to me that you buy stiff shoes, that are supposed to be stff and beat them to pieces before wearing them. However, I have no personal experience. At 11 the foot is still growing and the dancer is still figuring out her comfort. So, I think you've got a little while before your dd knows what she is comfortable with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share Posted January 27, 2014 Thank you! I'm so glad for the wealth of knowledge of this board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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