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ballet shoesHey everyone. I need a bit of advice here… what kind of ballet shoes do you think is a better buy for normal dance lessons? Canvas leather or satin??? thanks xox April 12, 2007 | In Questions |11 Comments »RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI Leave a comment |
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I really like canvas shoes, just because they show off your feet more. Plus, most canvas shoes are cheaper than leather ones. I’ve heard that leather lasts longer, but I don’t think they look as nice. Personally, I think satin shoes are a bit too fancy for normal ballet lessons.
Basically, canvas!
Comment by IronyandParadox — April 16, 2007 #
I like leather because they last longer, if you get split soles I think they look just as nice as canvas. satin gets dirty really fast and wears out within a few lessons, so they aren’t a good option for class. some teachers have a preference, so you should check with them.
Comment by Marissa — April 16, 2007 #
I’d go for leather too, as the others said satin get dirty and wears out too fast.
Canvas are good because you can just chuck them in the washing machine if they get dirty.
But I prefer leather because they are more hardwearing and they work the foot more.
Ask your teacher before you shop though, because not only may they have a preference, but depending on the exam board you use you have to have a certain sort.
Abbie
Comment by Abbie — April 16, 2007 #
id say leather they last way longer and canvas get real dirty and satin is just silly they wear out in bout 2 lessons but leather can be quite exspensive too so yea mmmmmmmm if you are on pointe its probably a good idea to use canvas cos you wont do as much in them if you werent on pointe but if your not on pointe yet get good quality leather ones
Comment by geane — April 16, 2007 #
Satin is slippery and not recommended as a serious dance shoe, except for special performances (use alot of rosin).
Leather is good wearing but buy them firm fitting as they stretch - alot. They can also be resprayed with ballet paint to renovate them. Leather can sometimes smell if you sweat alot and they can’t be washed.
Canvas gets dirty but can be washed, and they’re cooler to wear in summer as the sweat can evaporate more! So they won’t get so smelly. They also blend in well with skin tone as they have a matte look. Personal preference really - I have a pair of each and tend to use the canvas more in summer
Comment by Caitlin — April 18, 2007 #
It depends on your preference. Canvas are washable but are of lower quality. Leather slippers are more durable and hold up better to sweat. The price difference isn’t that huge on discountdance.com but know your size before you order from them. Split soles accentuate your footwork better.
Comment by Jaymie — April 21, 2007 #
I use leather and it reeeeeealy is long lasting… i tried using canvas before but my teacher prohibits us in using it, especially the split sole coz it doesn’t support your arch…
Comment by angel — April 23, 2007 #
Everyone’s comments are very helpful, but here’s an extra item to add to the list. The type of floor you have to dance on can make a real difference when selecting slippers, too. If your studio has a wood floor, leather slippers tend to be better as they give a good feel for the floor and will still slide when you need them to move smoothly across the floor. However, if your studio has a “marley” type dance floor, the leather shoes can tend to stick - especially in humid weather - like we get here in the south and near large bodies of water. In that case, you’ll probably want to use the canvas slippers as they will work more smoothly on the “marley” and resist the tendency to stick. For the record our studio always recommends the split sole slippers, to allow the arch to flex without worrying about the material bunching under the arch when pointing the foot. As for arch support, don’t expect to get that in any kind of ballet slipper, regardless of its type. If you really need arch support in a ballet slipper, then you’ll probably need to get orthotic shoe inserts, but beware as these can slip around in your shoe and may make things worse. Your better bet to counteract the need for arch support is to do foot stretches with therabands after each class. Hope this helps. Best of luck!
Comment by Elizabeth — May 12, 2007 #
hi
i think that its really personal preference bit ill give you a few tips.
leather flats work your feet a lot harder at pointing than canvas do and they also give you a lot more support of you tend to role in or out also they last the longest although they are more costly.
canvas is for more experienced dancer as they dont work your foot as hard but they make your point look good they breath better than leathe but dont last as long but they are much heaper .
satin are mainly for performance, personally i think they look gross and have never owned a pair of satin flats ever!!
i have a pair of canvas and leather, it just deoends what i feel like to what i wear !!
hope this helps
Comment by x. . [chloe] . .x — May 18, 2007 #
i like canvas because sweat can evaporate so your feet don’t stink and everything, and it’s easier to point your foot, but i also like leather because i agree that while more expensive, they are more durable and work your foot more. so what i do is buy a pair of canvas at the beginning of the summer and once those wear out (early-/mid-fall) i go back to leather for the rest of the year.
Comment by Grace — November 2, 2007 #
ok don’t worry, i have been doing ballet for a while now and i stdy it too. so heres what i say you choose. leather is expensive. I reallylike canvas cause it doesn’t hurt your toes if you dance too long it defines your pointe. But it also depends on how good you are. Canvas is attended for older students and better ones too.hope i helped
Comment by christina — December 16, 2007 #