As you probably know, to do different types of dance you need different types of shoes. Here I will tell you about all these different types of shoes, where to get them, and other tips that apply to the different types of shoes! Hope I'm helpful! If you have any other questions, you can e-mail me at prettydancer27@yahoo.com.

Ahhhh... The shoe everybody envies...the pointe shoe! Going on pointe can be wonderful, but it takes hard work and strength. First off, you will need pointe shoes. Pointe shoes are blocked at the bottom so that you can stand up in them. You use ribbon and elastic to help support your ankles. To find about the ribbons/elastic, read on in the next paragragh. Anyhoo...read on t ofind out about being fitted for shoes, etc.

You should always sew on your own ribbons. Your pointe shoes may come with ribbons and elastic, or you may have to purchase one or both. To sew on the ribbons, fold down the heel of the shoe. Use a pencil to mark where the heel ends on the left and the right. You will want to sew the ribbon diagonal upwards. Sew it using a whip stitch.

To sew the elastic, place your thumb on the center of the back of the heel. Make a mark on each side of your thumb. simply sew the elastic on each mark using either a whip stitch or a running stitch.

Some tips: 

• Use clear fingernail polish on the ends of the ribbons and elastic to prevent fraying.
• Make sure your elastic is snug but not too tight.
• Fold about an inch of ribbon or elastic under itself before sewing.
• NEVER SEW THROUGH THE BINDING!

How to Tie Pointe Shoe Ribbons

To tie your pointe shoe ribbons, first slip on your shoes. Make sure it fits well. Keep your foot flat on the floor, and take one ribbon and cross it then wrap it around your ankle. Hold it there with one of your hands. Repeat with the other ribbon. Tie the ribbons into a small knot, and tuck the ends in neatly. Your ribbons should be supportive around your ankle, but not too tight.

 Contrary to popular belief, us ballet dancers do not always dance in those beautiful pointe shoes. For regular ballet class, you flat shoes. These shoes can be either canvas or leather. Also, they can be split sole or full sole. If you are a beginner, you should probally start out with a full sole shoe so that you have more control over your arch and so that your teacher can see how developed your foot is. As you get more advanced you should use a split sole to make things like pointing your foot easier.

To sew on the elastic, fold over the heel of the foot. Sew on the elastic on the left and the right of the edge of the heel.

Jazz shoes are similar to ballet shoes, but are usually slip on or laced so you don't have sew on elastic. They are usually leather, but can be canvas. Also they can be split sole or full sole, but are usually split sole. Sometimes the heels and the ball of the foot may be rubber.

Tap is a very fun way to dance. But to do tap, you need to have tap shoes. Tap shoes can be in a jazz shoes style, or they can be more stiff. Of course, they have tap srewed into the ball of the shoe and on the heels. Sometimes you can buy broadway-style shoes that look basically like a simple high-heeled shoe. However most of the time this style of shoe does not come with taps, but you can buy them for $3-$5. Have fun tapping!

Here are some dance shoe suppliers:

• Bloch
• Capezio
• Chacott
• Danshuz by Style Queen
• Freed of London Ltd.
• Fuzi Int'l.
• Gamba
• Gaynor Minden
• Grishko~(one of my favorites)
• Leo's Dancewear
• Liberts
• Merlet
• Prima Soft
• Russian Pointe
• Sansha