Any tips on how to keep pointe shoes from slipping down from the heel?

[Anna C]

I always thought you were supposed to wear the same padding that you wore when the shoes were fitted. Wouldn't shoes be too big without padding if you wore ouch pouches while you had them fitted?

 

As a compromise, my dd now only wears ouch pouch pro pads; they have a thin layer of gel on top but just fabric underneath to help you feel the floor. :-)

[balletla]

Yes RBS mid associates is still the same no elastic and lambs wool hence my problem for my youngest DD.

If the shoes are broken in and the ribbon is in the right place then if the shoes are still slipping right off the heel, it is probably that they are not the right fit. Older students and professionals use elastic as security for shoes and feet dancing under extreme pressure, not to keep their shoes on their feet in the first instance. If your daughter is MA age, she won't be doing anything like that amount of work. Don't know if you have tried other styles of shoes, but if not, I would take a trip to London and get a fitting at Freed or somewhere else with a good fitter. Also, have you tried asking her teacher for advice?

 

Edited to add: My dd also has the slim feet with narrow heel and her shoes slipped off at the heel until she got properly fitted at Freed.

Edited October 18, 2012 by Ribbons

[rachaelballet12]

My MA daughter and my older daughter both have the same problem and have tried different fitters the ribbons are sewn on correctly as have been checked . MY ma daughter is wearing freeds at the moment we are going to a point class at RBS upper school soon so i will be able to get advice as a lady from freeds is attending at the end of the class. Thank you for all your help.

[taxi4ballet]

rachaelballet12, hopefully she will be able to suggest something, keep us posted and let us know what she says.

[balletla]

My DD has previously attended the RBS MA pointe day at upper school - it is excellent if you are new(ish) to pointe work and have only been on pointe for a year or two. The lady from Freeds will be Michelle who is excellent and has been fitting shoes there for about 40 years or something. You may have to be a bit pushy to make sure you get some time with her as loads of people tend to crowd round at the end of the session and it can be difficult to get in.

There was a thread on pointe shoes not so long ago which you may not have seen - here:

 

http://www.balletcoforum.com/index.php?/topic/1129-pointe-shoes-help/

[Aurora]

Does nobody use the grishko method I mentioned earlier? I think they all do that at my dd's dance school and only 1 or 2 of them use elastic.

[Anna C]

That method doesn't work if, like my dd, you use Bloch Elastorib or similar which come pre-cut into four pieces. Fortunately she doesn't need elastic so we've never worried about it, but that Grishko method does look good if your ribbon is not pre-cut.

[rachaelballet12]

Hi just thought i would update on what the fitter from freeds told us at royal ballet upper school . She is very experienced and has fitted international and home grow ballet dancers including Darcey.She said when trying on a point shoes in shops turn the heel over at the back of shoe then rest your foot on the shoe if the heel goes over the inside the shoes are to small if the heel has space the shoes are to big . She also said beware of fittters as sometimes they can look at a child and think they are so slim and automatically go for a narrow fit she explained the width of the shoe is determined by the line of bones that run across the foot just before the toes start IHOPE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEAN She also told me my DD shoes were boaderline she said i had been sold a pair of shoes that were half a size to big and a width to narrow . At least we know what to look for now .

[Anna C]

Yes, it's the width of the metatarsals she means. My dd is fairly wide at that part of her foot and it's the first bit of foot that the fitters in the Freed shop in London look at. Fortunately her favourite maker makes shoes that have a wider box and a narrower heel and the elastic drawstring helps too.

 

If you go to Freed for your fittings then it's well worth trying on several makers as they are all very different.

[rachaelballet12]

THANKS Spanner another trip to London when my DD needs a new pair yipee .