Ballet Shoes
Ballet shoes, also known as ballet slippers are mainly used by the beginner ballerina, male dancers, or, used during practice sessions before wearing Pointe shoes. These ballet shoes are specialized, soft, lightweight shoes meant for the ballet dancers. The bones of the novice ballerina are not ossified & their muscles are not strong enough to make them stand on their toe ( en pointe ). Hence, they use ballet shoes until they are capable of to stand on their toes, using the Pointe shoes. On the other hand male dancers exclusively wear ballet shoes.
There are different types of ballet shoes, made out of different materials. Leather shoes last longer and keep the feet warm in cold environment. Even though expensive, high grain leather ballet shoes are more flexible & comfortable. On the other hand, canvas shoes are more economic and they fit well. Male dancers prefer canvas shoes. But, the canvas shoes are susceptible to wear-n-tear.
The soles of the ballet shoes can be either a split-sole type, or, a full-sole type. Split-sole ballet shoes are more flexible & allow a better arching. Thus, split-sole ballet shoes are more preferred by intermediate & advanced users. On the other hand, full-soles are preferable in case of Pointe shoes, as it can provide better arch support when the dancer is standing on the toe-tip. While choosing a pair of ballet shoes for you, make sure that they fit; that's why, choosing elastics and sewing them according to dancer's feet is very important.
