The Ballet Bible

Ballet shoes buying tips

At first thought, the idea of buying a pair of ballet shoes may not excite you, you might be thinking that there is nothing to it and it is as simple as buying any pair of shoes. However, there is plenty of detail to study before you can select a particular pair of ballet shoes that will be the perfect fit for your feet. For those who are being instructed in ballet dancing, your teacher may recommend a particular type of ballet shoe for you and may even suggest a particular brand as well as color. You may even find that you should buy them from a particular store.

Buying real leather ballet shoes is preferable to imitation leather which will not provide you with the right support and if you are not heavy bodied then leather ballet shoes will do you well. If you are heavy bodied you may want to select canvas shoes because the soles (unlike leather shoe soles) won’t stick to the floor. If your shoes do stick to the floor it will cause the shoes to wear out faster as well as make you prone to injuring yourself.

Before buying the ballet shoes make sure that you have tried them on and attempt a few basic steps (ballet, of course) to evaluate the fit. These shoes are not just for walking and in case the shoes don’t feel right make sure that you check out different brands and sizes. There is no point in your trying to ‘break the shoes in’ since these shoes are usually very soft and do not require breaking in. Even if the shoes fit well ensure that they are also comfortable.

You may also need to consider whether to have an elastic band or ribbons on your ballet shoes. Children should use ballet shoes with elastic bands that are sewn across the top whereas ribbons are usually more suited for rehearsals. You should check with your instructor to find which to use. In case your instructor tells you to purchase a particular type of ballet shoe then those are the ones that you must absolutely have.

When you buy ballet shoes it is worth purchasing more than one pair because they wear out with prolonged use and it is normal to have bought as many as half a dozen pairs of ballet shoes each year. This is a good reason to look for discount ballet shoes, which you can even do over the internet.

You should know the brand, design as well as size of shoe that you are interested in and then search the internet for a good deal. Also, ensure that you are fully aware of refund and exchange policies and also ensure that the discounted pair is not one that has imperfections. You should buy as many pairs of discounted ballet shoes as you can afford, since the discounts may not last forever.