low arches and pointes

[Yara Refaat]

I happen to have very low arches,and I have been wearing pointes for a long time but my last pair got dead and I stayed in it for a long time. I just got my new Pair and I am having a hard time getting over the box and it is making me wonder, can low arched feet get over the box while maintaining the correct foot shape I should be in while en pointe?

[taxi4ballet]

Maybe speak to your teacher, who will advise

[munchkin16]

Possibly check your shoes are the best possible fit you can find. A too long vamp, too strong shank or just the wrong shoe in general can make it a lot harder.

[Yara Refaat]

Well is it normal for my first week or so in my new shoes to struggle?

[Anna C]

It is possible and it might be that the shoes just need breaking in - BUT it could also be, as munchkin says, that the shoes are too strong in the shank, too heavyweight under the metatarsals (so that you can't point your feet sufficiently in the shoes) or the vamp is too long and is pulling you back off pointe.

 

Are these the same make and model as your dead shoes?

[Yara Refaat]

Well they are not the same and I don't guess they are my perfect fit, but the best I could find now I ordered grishko triumphs and will have them by november so I needed a pair as my shoes were more than dead. And I guess my posture in my old pointes in its last period was so faulty it made it harder for my feet to maintain a strong arch and push over my new shoes, specially with my low arches.

I just wonder if all ballerinas have high arches I hope I am not the only one with low arch

[munchkin16]

I think if your teacher has said you can do pointe work and you trust their opinion then you have a good enough arch and acceptable feet for pointe. Then it is just a case of working to the best of your ability with the feet you have (trust me I understand how you feel I find it easiest to get over in dead shoes!)

 

The only thing we can do to make it easier is stretch and strengthen our feet and most importantly find the right shoe. I still haven't managed it but if you feel like the shoe might be holding you back it's definitely worth checking with your teacher/pointe shoe fitter.

 

To answer your final question, I don't know about professionals but yes there are people out there (like me) with lower arches who still do pointe work. I guess not everyone can have amazing feet...