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Ballet tights balance problem


EmilyR

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When I dance in my canvas split sole shoes and don't wear tights my balance is fine, however when I  wear tights (convertible) with the same shoes my balance is terrible. It feels like I have lost the connection with the floor - and my toes get freezing cold!. I have to wear tights for two of my classes so I don't have any option to go barefoot.

Has anyone experienced the asme problem? can you offer any suggestions to solve this issue?

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1 hour ago, EmilyR said:

Thanks!

Do you know if they cover the full top of the foot so it looks like you have tights on?

probably not

 

It's probably your toes that make the difference, there is a hack were you cut the toe seam leaving just a tiny connection between the big toe and the rest of the toes so the tights stay down, I saw it on one of Kathryn Morgan's ballet hacks videos.

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22 hours ago, Kate_N said:

Have a look at Olivia Cowley's Ballet Style Instagram & website. She has a few posts on how she modifies her tights so that her toes are bare, so she can feel the floor through her shoes.

Thanks for this suggestion. If you find a link to any of her posts could you send it to me please. I have looked everywhere for one but without success!!!!

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On 28/02/2019 at 07:24, invisiblecircus said:

Could it be that your tights are too… tight? Maybe you could try a larger size so that they're not pulled so tightly over your foot.

As a temporary fix I hooked the tights over my toes and stuck my big toe out through the hole in the sole. I was certainly an improvement!!

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I am utterly fascinated by this topic as had never considered this but it actually does make much sense!! On occasion I dance leaving convert tights as footless & bare feet in canvas flats & realise I do balance/turn/connect to floor much better! Also interested to view these tights modifications if links can be found :)

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2 hours ago, Peanut68 said:

I am utterly fascinated by this topic as had never considered this but it actually does make much sense!! 


I was just thinking the same! I never had a problem with balance and footed tights, but I always preferred dancing with flats over bare feet and never really thought about it being about feeling the floor more easily.

Having given it a bit more thought, do you always wear the same brand of tights and shoes, @EmilyR? If so, maybe there is a brand of tights out there that's less slippery or shoes that have a different lining. Also, check the fit of your shoes. Maybe they're too wide and your foot is slipping about inside them.

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2 hours ago, invisiblecircus said:


I was just thinking the same! I never had a problem with balance and footed tights, but I always preferred dancing with flats over bare feet and never really thought about it being about feeling the floor more easily.

Having given it a bit more thought, do you always wear the same brand of tights and shoes, @EmilyR? If so, maybe there is a brand of tights out there that's less slippery or shoes that have a different lining. Also, check the fit of your shoes. Maybe they're too wide and your foot is slipping about inside them.

I went through about 10 different makes/styles of shoe before getting to the pair I have now. Despite them all being the correct fit they just didn't feel right. I now dance in Bloch Zenith and buy the narrow fit. I don't have particularly narrow feet but they just fit me perfectly. I did try the medium width once with and although they weren't too big they just made my feet feel out of control. Interestingly I wear a two X in their pointe shoes which is also quite narrow and they are a dream to wear.

 

I have a few makes of tights I'll see if one pair feels more slippy than the other.... thanks for this suggestion. 

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3 hours ago, Loulou said:

My dd is at a vocational school and a lot of them wear convertible tights, but roll them up to the ankle, never actually asked her why ?! Would you be able to do this ? 

 

Like this 

2E3ADC4A-D76E-4CF1-811C-A188B28BB9AE.jpeg

Thanks for the suggestion and photo. This style is ok for my open classes but we have to wear full tights for the syllabus classes.

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3 hours ago, The_Red_Shoes said:

I find that if my tights are of the very strongly elasticated kind they squash my toes together and then I can't spread them to give a wider platform for balance.

So do you have a brand of tights you like best?

 

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I find the poshest, best quality tights are the ones that tend to squash my toes and the most comfortable are the cheaper ones as they are softer and stretchier. I usually buy own-brand multi-pack from Move  and I make sure that they are a big enough size.

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5 hours ago, The_Red_Shoes said:

I find that if my tights are of the very strongly elasticated kind they squash my toes together and then I can't spread them to give a wider platform for balance.

 

I find this too as I have compressible feet and it is worse with stretch shoes on top. I think Bloch zenith have quite a strong elastic in so you may feel better in the non stretch canvas or leather?

tendu tights have quite a lot of material around the toes, and not too elasticated

Edited by Moomin
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Here's an updated on my trials of shoes, tights and modification of tights....

 

I tried hooking my convertible tights over my toes but leaving my big toe free. It was ok but the fabric between my big toe and first to got a bit gathered and became slightly uncomfortable but not painful.

 

I tried a C fitting of the Bloch Zenith but they worked their way down my heel and finally slid off totally half way through class!!!

 

I've tried several different pair of tights - makes sometimes unknown as I borrowed some of them - and have found I like the Silky convertibles best however they laddered on their second wear. reviews say they ladder easily and if that's the case they could be a costly option??

 

I tried the Capezio Hanami and So Danca SD16 shoes, settling for the SD16  in a medium (C) Fitting and so far these, combined with may beautifully laddered Silky tights, have given me an excellent toe to floor connection. The fabric of the SD16 is quite fine so I don't know how hard wearing they will be but hey! - that could be the price I have to pay for liking how they feel.  

 

 

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35 minutes ago, Moomin said:

Did you manage to try some non stretch shoes as well?

I tried the Sansha Pro Split Sole but there were huge around my whole foot, and the Bloch Pro Elastic which fitted across the top of the foot but there was a lot of spare fabric down the side of my toes. I think I'm a bit fussy and I have funny toes because I have broken several of them more than once (not dance related). Canvas with a bit of stretch seems to fit them nicely  and I'm discovering that the thinner the fabric the more I can feel the floor. Does that help you at all?

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

**UPADTE**

i am still loving my So Danca SD16 shoes and the Silky tights BUT my shoes have worn through on the end of the big toe on the left foot. I've ordered some more but did wonder if going through a pair of canvas shoes a month is normal??

 

Also - I bought some toe sepatators which I've worn for a little while each day. My toes feel much less old aged and bunched together :) 

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11 hours ago, EmilyR said:

**UPADTE**

i am still loving my So Danca SD16 shoes and the Silky tights BUT my shoes have worn through on the end of the big toe on the left foot. I've ordered some more but did wonder if going through a pair of canvas shoes a month is normal??

 

Also - I bought some toe sepatators which I've worn for a little while each day. My toes feel much less old aged and bunched together :) 

 

We’ve found the same problem with the SD16 but can’t find any more hardwearing ones that they love as much. 

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12 hours ago, Farawaydancer said:

 

We’ve found the same problem with the SD16 but can’t find any more hardwearing ones that they love as much. 

I should have kept a log of how many hours I got out of them. I'll perhaps do that for this next pair. 

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