Pointe shoe ribbon length

[taxi4ballet]

I've noticed lately that whenever I buy the ribbon it is sold in 2.2m lengths, which seems to be the usual, but we find that this amount isn't quite long enough.

 

Could it be because dd has very high arches? Or do others have this trouble as well?

 

 

 

 

[Sheila Beelam]

I've found this too, so in the shop we package it in 2.5m lengths, far better to have 10cm too much....

[Legseleven]

How does the height of the arches affect the length of ribbon required? My DD also has very high arches and insteps but we haven't found that the ribbon length is insufficient. Although Sheila's point is very pertinent - far better to have too much than too little!

[taxi4ballet]

How does the height of the arches affect the length of ribbon required? 

 

Her high arches extend up to the ankle, so I thought it might be that she needs more ribbon where it crosses over at the front before wrapping it round. We've been told her feet are unusual, so I just wondered if that was it.

 

Agree with Sheila, I'd rather have the ribbon too long than have the faff of having to measure each bit to the exact millimetre!! I will have to buy some of yours next time

[Anna C]

We buy Bloch Elastorib and I have no idea how long each piece is - but it's always sufficient, even folding the "in shoe" end over for durability.

[Legseleven]

I confess that I shall be studying DD's feet after her class tonight to see where her high insteps/arches 'stop', taxi4ballet! ;-)

 

We also use Bloch Elastorib ribbon, perhaps it is longer? I have no idea, but certainly, as spannerandpony says, it is more than long enough and we cut off the excess length. Equally, bravo to Sheila and Just Ballet's policy of selling longer ribbons!

[Fiz]

Also, Sheila, many thanks for the warm up that arrived yesterday. I only ordered it on Friday evening. I had to wait three weeks for one from Planet Dance and it was twice the price!

[Tulip]

Sorry off topic, my daughters degas leotard fitted her beautifully Sheila. The parcel arrived beautifully wrapped and was a lovely surprise for her when she came home for half term. My daughter has always bought normal point Ribbon from Bloch and has never had any problems, don't know what the length is though.

[porthesia]

I had noticed that once or twice the ribbon was getting a bit short.  Do you measure against your old ribbons or just cut in half?  As one ribbon (can't remember but think it is the inside one) is always shorter we started measuring and cutting the ribbons to match.  Have also bought a reel of ribbon now. It was quite an expense at the time but as I ordered 4 pairs for the start of term thought it would be easier for dd as she's got the task now

[Sheila Beelam]

Glad the warm up arrived safely Fiz and that your daughter likes her leotard Tulip

I always use Elastorib and find there's plenty in a pack. I like the elastic insert as ribbon has no stretch, so this helps relieve pressure on the Achilles.

The inside ribbon is usually longer as that is the one that is crossed first and comes back round to where it started. Hanging your shoes up and seeing which ribbon is longer is also a quick way to see which shoe is for which foot

Sx

[Anjuli_Bai]

Hmmm....I was taught to always switched my shoes from foot to foot.  Found it gave me better balance and the shoes lasted a bit longer.

[taxi4ballet]

We usually buy the Bloch regular ribbon and that is longer - although it cuts out the hassle it is more expensive, which is why I've been trying other makes, as dd gets through a lot of it. I can never get the hang of recycling it from old shoes, I manage to get holes in it every time!

[Sheila Beelam]

That's interesting Anjuli as I was always told that in the past and did alternate. But since fitting shoes I've found that as each foot tends to be slightly different, so the wear will be different in each shoe and maybe it's better to stick to a right and left shoe? Obviously if there is an extreme difference in size this would be necessary anyway. What does everyone think?

Sx

[Aurora]

I always stuck to a shoe for each foot. A foot isn't symmetrical and as the shoe moulds to the foot through wear I always felt that swapping would mean that shoes never felt comfortable and perhaps weren't fully supportive. I never tried it though and I'm sure there are plenty of arguments for and against.

[Balletmumfor2]

My daughter always wears out one shoe before the other as she often does more pirouettes and arabesques on her favoured leg in her festival dances. I suggested she swapped her shoes to even out the wear but she said that her feet are very different so she would find it difficult to swap them over once the shoes had moulded to her feet and been broken in. She definitely has one ribbon longer than the other and used this to check which shoe is which as suggested above.

[Anjuli_Bai]

The shoe does mold to the foot - but at a certain point it goes beyond and "yields" to the foot thus giving less support.  If the shoes are alternated the shoe wears more evenly and is more supportive and lasts a bit longer.

 

For instance, if  dancer has a tendency to roll toward the big toe, eventually the shoe will stop resisting that roll and begin to yield toh it and thus exacerbating the problem.  But if the shoe is switched, it will continue - for a while longer - to support against that roll.

 

At least that is what I found.