Dance moms- pointe shoes

[teachermom2834]

My 12 yo dd is a recreational dancer. Not pursuing a career or going to college for it but she enjoys it and takes about four hours of ballet a week (and four hours of other styles). She just got pointe shoes in May and has danced in them about an hour a week for three months.

It seems all have told me her shoes should last her about a year or until she outgrows them at this point. So I was surprised last night when her teacher told her it looked like her shoes were starting to break down and not supporting her properly. I know serious dancers go through shoes quickly but I really was under the impression that my dd was not at the point where she would need them every three-four months.

My question is what would cause her to go through shoes more quickly than normal? She is not overweight. Could poor technique be a cause? Could the fact that her shoe was just not right for her be a cause? I understand pointe shoes are a money suck but if her technique is at fault she should work on that. If the shoes are just not right for her I don’t want to go into the same shoe again (though her shoes have worked pretty well for her so otherwise she likely would go with the same one). 
 

We had her fitted the first time by the “best” fitter in the nearby medium size city an hour away. We have another nearby large city with a big dance store with more selection. I’d rather stick with the first place we went but if the reason it broke down so fast is that she was poorly fitted then I would try the other place.  Would a good fitter be able to look at her shoes and see what might have been a problem?

I do know she hasn’t spilled water on them or played with them or anything like that.

I realize that pointe shoes are expensive and frequent purchases. I am just wondering if there is something we can address rather than just throwing our hands up. 
 

Can I just say that of all the things my four children have participated in, dance is the most confusing for a mom that knows nothing?!?!

[Amy in NH]

That sounds like a normal lifespan for a pair of pointe shoes.  Sorry!

If you like the shoes she was fit with, maybe you could order them on Danzia's pointe shoe discount program?

[teachermom2834]

Just now, Amy in NH said:

That sounds like a normal lifespan for a pair of pointe shoes.  Sorry!

If you like the shoes she was fit with, maybe you could order them on Danzia's pointe shoe discount program?

If it is normal that is ok. Just want to make sure if there is something wrong we address it. The big city store does have a discount program I can look at too. 
 

 

[Amy in NH]

Just make sure they are in a vented bag, hung outside the regular dance duffel, so they get a chance to completely air dry between uses.

[Bootsie]

Some pointe shoes offer more support than others.  Dancing in them for about an hour per week could mean a wide-rang of usage of the shoes, depending upon what is being done within that hour.  If it is an hour of heavy usage, 3 months could be normal.  When I was dancing we did three things to make the shoes last longer--aired between wearings, switch feet--the shoe worn on the left foot one day was worn on the right foot the next day, and when shoes got soft we baked them--painted them with shellac and baked them in a slow oven to harden the box of the shoe--they weren't "pretty any more" but it was good for extending the life of the shoes for practice, if it was that the box of the she was softening (didn't work if it was an issue of the arch breaking down).  I don't know if that is still done, or not. 

[teachermom2834]

2 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

Some pointe shoes offer more support than others.  Dancing in them for about an hour per week could mean a wide-rang of usage of the shoes, depending upon what is being done within that hour.  If it is an hour of heavy usage, 3 months could be normal.  When I was dancing we did three things to make the shoes last longer--aired between wearings, switch feet--the shoe worn on the left foot one day was worn on the right foot the next day, and when shoes got soft we baked them--painted them with shellac and baked them in a slow oven to harden the box of the shoe--they weren't "pretty any more" but it was good for extending the life of the shoes for practice, if it was that the box of the she was softening (didn't work if it was an issue of the arch breaking down).  I don't know if that is still done, or not. 

Interesting! 

[catz]

I think the first pairs of pointe shoes can last longer.  But changing feet and changing bodies can break them faster.  And it depends on the foot/shoe combo.  My daughter got fitted for a pointe shoe.  HAd 2 pairs of those.  And then that was exactly the  wrong pair for her after that and she had to switch to another brand.  Having a mesh bag to hang them in to dry will help with longevity but I don't think it's out of the range of normal unfortunately.  

I wouldn't order online until they've had the same pair in the same size checked 2-3 times in a row.  

Edited September 1, 2020 by FuzzyCatz

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, Amy in NH said:

Just make sure they are in a vented bag, hung outside the regular dance duffel, so they get a chance to completely air dry between uses.

Yes this helps.  I have heard it can wear down faster in places with high humidity.    

[mommyoffive]

38 minutes ago, FuzzyCatz said:

I think the first pairs of pointe shoes can last longer.  But changing feet and changing bodies can break them faster.  And it depends on the foot/shoe combo.  My daughter got fitted for a pointe shoe.  HAd 2 pairs of those.  And then that was exactly the  wrong pair for her after that and she had to switch to another brand.  Having a mesh bag to hang them in to dry will help with longevity but I don't think it's out of the range of normal unfortunately.  

I wouldn't order online until they've had the same pair in the same size checked 2-3 times in a row.  

Yes.  At the start you go through lots of shoes sometimes to find the one that is right for your dancer.  And changes to their technique,  feet, body, and strength of the foot can affect the shoe.   Sometimes them just getting stronger means a new shoe.  Some shoes break down faster than others.  Just how they are made.  But the strength of the kind of shoe you are in can do it too.  

[mommyoffive]

1 hour ago, Bootsie said:

Some pointe shoes offer more support than others.  Dancing in them for about an hour per week could mean a wide-rang of usage of the shoes, depending upon what is being done within that hour.  If it is an hour of heavy usage, 3 months could be normal.  When I was dancing we did three things to make the shoes last longer--aired between wearings, switch feet--the shoe worn on the left foot one day was worn on the right foot the next day, and when shoes got soft we baked them--painted them with shellac and baked them in a slow oven to harden the box of the shoe--they weren't "pretty any more" but it was good for extending the life of the shoes for practice, if it was that the box of the she was softening (didn't work if it was an issue of the arch breaking down).  I don't know if that is still done, or not. 

Our school hasn't taught these things only yet glue.  But I think there are a lot of other techniques.   

Some girls go through shoes faster than others.  And some prefer the feel of shoes that are new and some like them closer to dead.

I think that life is pretty normal  .  Some girls might get a few more months.  And you may get more with a different shoe.  Pointe shoes are such a big expense.   The girls up one level than my odd are going through a pair a week on normal times with no rehearsals or shows.  A friend of that dances somewhere else but same age as odd is going through a few pairs a week without shows and rehearsals.  Crazy

 

I get not knowing all this dance stuff.   Dh and I are not dancers and all our kids are.  I have asked all the dumb questions about pointe shoes.  😉

[teachermom2834]

40 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

 

I think that life is pretty normal  .  Some girls might get a few more months.  And you may get more with a different shoe.  Pointe shoes are such a big expense.   The girls up one level than my odd are going through a pair a week on normal times with no rehearsals or shows.  A friend of that dances somewhere else but same age as odd is going through a few pairs a week without shows and rehearsals.  Crazy

 

Yep...see the pair a week or even a month is not in the cards for dd. That surpasses the investment we will make in something that is purely a hobby and just for fun. I think it's a great activity and I've been happy to support it but there is a line there somewhere before she gives up on pointe and focuses on other kinds of dance. It's purely a hobby and there will be a line so if there is a way to figure this out to get through a year with only 2-3 pairs of shoes that would keep her in it longer. She only is on them an hour a week and will probably never be on them more than two a week at her studio. So she isn't training for anything. 

So, we'll have to decide how we feel about it. But I am definitely willing to give it some time and try different shoes, etc. 

[kiwik]

So glad my dancer is a boy.  Struggling to get tap shoes that work though.

[Just Kate]

My dd is very similar to the OP’s dd. Dd just turned 13 and has been dancing en pointe since December 2018. Just yesterday I took her to be fitted for her 5th pair of pointe shoes. Our struggle has really been finding the right fit. We live in a more rural state with just one dance store locally (would have to drive 2-3 hours for another). I have found that it really depends on who is working in the store that day - some are just better than others. Also, at one point, the store was out of a lot of sizes so we had to do some guessing to get the right size. Of dd’s 4 pair of shoes, she broke 2 of them and the other 2, she really grew out of (because they really didn’t fit her well to begin with). 
 

The shoes we got yesterday are wonderful!!! The person working at the store was new to us, although she had worked there years ago. She is a professional dancer and back in town due to covid. She did such a wonderful job helping us and I think these are dd’s best shoes yet. I spent yesterday evening helping dd to sew on the elastics and we will work on the ribbons today. This year dd is moving to a pointe class where she will be dancing twice per week, so I am so so happy that she has a pair of shoes that fit!

At dd’s level (and I think this is really the level she will stay at for pointe), I expect her to go through 2 or maybe 3 pairs of shoes per year. I’m with you OP, dd is not planning to dance professionally and this is about as much as I’m comfortable with.  I’m also clueless about this world, so I understand where you’re coming from!!

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, Just Kate said:

My dd is very similar to the OP’s dd. Dd just turned 13 and has been dancing en pointe since December 2018. Just yesterday I took her to be fitted for her 5th pair of pointe shoes. Our struggle has really been finding the right fit. We live in a more rural state with just one dance store locally (would have to drive 2-3 hours for another). I have found that it really depends on who is working in the store that day - some are just better than others. Also, at one point, the store was out of a lot of sizes so we had to do some guessing to get the right size. Of dd’s 4 pair of shoes, she broke 2 of them and the other 2, she really grew out of (because they really didn’t fit her well to begin with). 
 

The shoes we got yesterday are wonderful!!! The person working at the store was new to us, although she had worked there years ago. She is a professional dancer and back in town due to covid. She did such a wonderful job helping us and I think these are dd’s best shoes yet. I spent yesterday evening helping dd to sew on the elastics and we will work on the ribbons today. This year dd is moving to a pointe class where she will be dancing twice per week, so I am so so happy that she has a pair of shoes that fit!

At dd’s level (and I think this is really the level she will stay at for pointe), I expect her to go through 2 or maybe 3 pairs of shoes per year. I’m with you OP, dd is not planning to dance professionally and this is about as much as I’m comfortable with.  I’m also clueless about this world, so I understand where you’re coming from!!

Yes, having a knowledgeable fitter is key.

[mommyoffive]

4 hours ago, kiwik said:

So glad my dancer is a boy.  Struggling to get tap shoes that work though.

Thankfully I have one boy.  

[cuckoomamma]

The suggestion to make sure the shoes are in a mesh bag and out drying on a hook is super helpful. It's amazing how quickly they break down during the summer months. It could be that the shoes were softer (some brands and styles are softer than others and some pairs are softer than others) but it doesn't sound like an abnormal amount of time. You know your daughter best, but I've seen girls do some crazy things with pointe shoes and their moms had no idea. The problem is that they really have a very small sweet spot of when they work best, and young dancers who are anxious to dance their best for teachers and their peers sometimes resort to life shortening tactics.  But again, it doesn't sound like the time frame you're referring to is outside the norm, especially during the summer. My girls have very different feet (left and right) and would hate switching feet, so I think that might be up to your dance

I have two dancing girls, and we've had the nightmare of shoes lasting one class and others lasting way longer than the norm. If she begins to dance for more hours per week and you start to go through pointe shoes more quickly, you can buy multiple pairs and rotate them. We've had a lot of success with that extending the life span of shoes. Also, we don't throw them out, even when they're dead, and every so often shoes will harden a long time after they've been dead and be danceable for a class or two. 

At 12, she may have a lot of growing and changing that will effect her feet. As she becomes more comfortable dancing in them, she can opt for different shoe choices which may make the shoes have a longer life span. I'm surprised that people have said that the shoes should last a year. Shoes are so different as are the dancers anatomy and way of dancing. What dies quickly on one foot may not on another even when other factors are the same.

 

[Farrar]

Watch out though, boy moms... my kid thought about going en pointe. They can do it. They should wait until they're older than the girls though because their feet are still growing. Thank goodness mine changed his mind for now. I suspect he'll have to learn a bit of it at some point.

[mommyoffive]

16 minutes ago, Farrar said:

Watch out though, boy moms... my kid thought about going en pointe. They can do it. They should wait until they're older than the girls though because their feet are still growing. Thank goodness mine changed his mind for now. I suspect he'll have to learn a bit of it at some point.

Oh yeah I know they can.  Why did your ds want to?  Does it open up roles?

[teachermom2834]

18 minutes ago, Farrar said:

Watch out though, boy moms... my kid thought about going en pointe. They can do it. They should wait until they're older than the girls though because their feet are still growing. Thank goodness mine changed his mind for now. I suspect he'll have to learn a bit of it at some point.

And I bet those shoes are even more expensive! More specialized/bigger/stronger/break faster 😞

 

[Lady Marmalade]

11 hours ago, kiwik said:

So glad my dancer is a boy.  Struggling to get tap shoes that work though.

Ha! We just splurged and bought DS the really good tap shoes... I thought pointe shoes were expensive!  On the plus side, these may last him a while.  

To the OP, definitely get her fitted again.  My DD changed sizing a few times when en pointe as her feet got used to the shoes and she broke them in differently.  Those first few months of technique can be hard on the first pair- after that, for once a week dancing, the shoes should last longer. 

[Farrar]

6 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Oh yeah I know they can.  Why did your ds want to?  Does it open up roles?

He just thought it would be interesting and good for his feet. If they want to teach down the line, I think they have to do a bit.

[mommyoffive]

2 hours ago, Farrar said:

He just thought it would be interesting and good for his feet. If they want to teach down the line, I think they have to do a bit.

Hmmm.  Do men teach pointe?  Dd never has had a guy teach pointe.   Or does it just help with teaching,  not pointe specifically?  My kids had a teacher last year who was in a all mens company, so he danced on pointe.