Pointe Shoe Toe Pads

[Tuco123]

Hi all, can anyone recommend good quality cushion toe pads for pointe shoes? The last pair my daughter had were a bit on the thin side, didn't offer much padding. She has a pointe shoe fitting next week and so want to have them ready to take with us.

 

Many thanks in advance 

[Dancing unicorn]

My dd favours Wear Moi toe pads! Been using them since the start! Nearly 6 years! Finally one wore out after about 3 yrs! Only on 2nd pair now and that’s with use (definitely in last 2 years at Hammond) of Pointe most days! As dd prefers to work in pointe shoes! So yeh definitely recommend. Hope that helps x

[Anna C]

Capezio/Bunheads Ouch Pouch Junior are good - they're padded on the top and bottom with gel.  Good for beginner pointework - as you get more advanced and need to "feel the floor" en pointe, then you can go to a thinner toepad like Ouch Pouch Pro, silicone toepads, or even just lambswool, toetape or silicone toe caps. 

[Tuco123]

That's great, thank so much for the advice. I shall look into those suggestions 👍

[Sheila Beelam]

Hi Tuco

I don’t think you need to worry about getting padding before the fitting. Your daughter will try on lots of different shoes and she may find she likes different types of pads in different makes of shoes. She may also prefer no pad in some shoes. The fitter should have a variety of padding for her to try, like Anna describes. There are no rules on what type should feel right - all feet are different.

 

Don’t be worried that she will damage her toes if she doesn’t have any padding. She will damage her toes if she has ill fitting shoes. 

 

Incidentally, if you are fitted without a pad, be wary about trying to then wear a pad in the shoes as it may make the fit too tight. Similarly if you are fitted with a pad and then try and dance without it, you may find the shoe is too big and you sink into it!

 

Sit back and listen to your fitter and your daughter’s feedback and enjoy the experience! 

Sheila x

[MayKwok]

I personally use the perfect pointe insert. It's an American product and I get stung by customs every time I order. But worth the money in my opinion. Link here. Mods please remove if links are not allowed. http://perfectfitpointe.com

 

It's a kit they send you where you mix 2 little tubs of clay-like mixtures together. You then put onto your toes, then put the included fabric on top, then put the pointe shoe on. It fills up all the space in the shoe and eliminates all the pressure points. I only have to tape 1 toe with micropore tape to prevent a blister.

 

Disclaimer: not affiliated with the company. Just a happy customer!

 

[Sam]

I bought these for dd last year after years of silicon toe pads. They saved her feet when she had rehearsals every day last November!!!

[Anna C]

8 hours ago, Sheila Beelam said:

Hi Tuco

I don’t think you need to worry about getting padding before the fitting. Your daughter will try on lots of different shoes and she may find she likes different types of pads in different makes of shoes. She may also prefer no pad in some shoes. The fitter should have a variety of padding for her to try, like Anna describes. There are no rules on what type should feel right - all feet are different.

 

Don’t be worried that she will damage her toes if she doesn’t have any padding. She will damage her toes if she has ill fitting shoes. 

 

Incidentally, if you are fitted without a pad, be wary about trying to then wear a pad in the shoes as it may make the fit too tight. Similarly if you are fitted with a pad and then try and dance without it, you may find the shoe is too big and you sink into it!

 

Sit back and listen to your fitter and your daughter’s feedback and enjoy the experience! 

Sheila x

 

I hoped Sheila would come along. 

 

Yes, some shoes are more cushioned than others and require less or no padding.  

[Tuco123]

Thanks everyone 

 

It's her 3rd pointe shoe fitting. The fitter supplied the toe pads there and then the first time so she could try pointes on whilst wearing them to get the correct fit. I didn't get new toe pads the second time, maybe I should have done and it's all my fault of why she's felt so much discomfort! 

I'm going to ring the shop to ask what choices they have.

[Anna C]

48 minutes ago, Tuco123 said:

Thanks everyone 

 

It's her 3rd pointe shoe fitting. The fitter supplied the toe pads there and then the first time so she could try pointes on whilst wearing them to get the correct fit. I didn't get new toe pads the second time, maybe I should have done and it's all my fault of why she's felt so much discomfort! 

I'm going to ring the shop to ask what choices they have.

 

Probably my fault, but I'm a little confused.  Did you buy a pair of the same toepads that were used at the first fitting?  

[Nicola H]

9 hours ago, Anna C said:

 

Probably my fault, but I'm a little confused.  Did you buy a pair of the same toepads that were used at the first fitting?  

 

good question as  it  should be viewed as a 'system' purchase  i.e. shoes  and toe padding 

[Anon2]

Toe pads last forever, pointe shoes don’t. I think she had 3 pairs in her 10 years of pointe but at times was having a pair of shoes a week.  As Shiela says be guided by fitter if your dd didn’t get on with the original pads to find some that suit her feet and the new shoes. Dd moved from Ouch pouch junior to the pro, then big toe cap with micropore to nothing now. 

[Tuco123]

I didn't buy any toe pads before the first fitting, the shop had them there and so gave my DD some to put on when trying shoes. We found the right pair of shoes (eventually) and so we kept the toe pads that she had on during the fitting. When we went back for the second fitting we took the 1st pair of pads with us and my DD wore those while trying on shoes and that's when I didn't buy a fresh pair of pads.

 

Rang shop today, the fitter said one pair of pads will definitely last two pairs of shoes and if her pointes are decrepit (which they are, they've softened quite a bit) she'll be in more pain than usual. Plus her foot shape may have changed and so might need a completely different shoe. They have a few different pads to try anyway so we should be fine. They're very good where we go, they have an excellent reputation so I'm confident 👍

[Anna C]

Ah, I see.  Yes, overly soft shoes could certainly account for pain.  As Jane says, toe pads last much longer than shoes!  Absolutely, take the current toe pads with you but you may end up with different toe pads (or none), depending upon the new shoes.  Basically, buy (or keep) the type of pads the shoes are fitted with.  

[Nicola H]

11 hours ago, Jane said:

Toe pads last forever, pointe shoes don’t. I think she had 3 pairs in her 10 years of pointe but at times was having a pair of shoes a week.  As Shiela says be guided by fitter if your dd didn’t get on with the original pads to find some that suit her feet and the new shoes. Dd moved from Ouch pouch junior to the pro, then big toe cap with micropore to nothing now. 

 

 which is what  would be considered a 'system' purchase  even if you  re use parts ... 

I used to sail competitively and aside from  the classes of boats where there was a monopoly on  masts ( either supplied solely  by / through the current licenced hull builder, or  because the class rules say you can only use a 'bloggs  type c ' , if you  were buy sails  the first question the sail maker would ask  is ' what mast  have you got ?' because  the  shape of sails  is related to the  way in which the mast  behaves under load  - and sails and masts are replaced on vastly  different time scales, i know people sailing  with 20 / 30 /40 year old masts becasue they are still  good  ,but  at the competitive end of the fleet  sails  are a regular purchase ...  ( and for the real elite it  can be near pointe shoe consumability  status -  although  generally there is a  resale value to these sails  rather than  them beign dead )