Using ballet shoes is a thrilling and sometimes challenging experience, especially for beginners and those who have no good ballet instructors to guide them.
Many ballerinas have specific shoes that are categorised as dead shoes to them which confuse many beginners and those without any ballet experience. But what are dead shoes in ballet?
This article walks you through why and how ballerinas and instructors categorised ballet shoe that is dead and what to do with them if you have one with you.
What are dead shoes in ballet?
Ballet shoes are considered dead by ballerinas only when one of the following things happens which includes the box and wings no longer fitting you, when the shank is no longer supportive, when the shoes get damaged, when the shoes are out of shape or when the ballet shoes are worn out to the extent that you can feel the floor.
The most appropriate thing that you need to consider before a ballet shoe can be categorised as dead is the functionality of the shoe and comfortability to the user.
If the shoe is comfortable, it will the shoes work properly and give ballerinas the needed flexibility, then consider the shoes to be perfectly alive.
Let us take a step-by-step guide to know when a ballet shoe is dead.
The box and wings are no longer fit for you.
Ballet shoes can be considered dead if the box and wings are longer fitting well to the feet of a ballerina as it was in the past.
The box of pointe ballet shoes helps ballets to stand on their toes when dancing which is spectacular in ballet.
If that box is no longer fitting comfortably to the feet of a ballet dancer, then it is considered dead because it will no longer be useful
Shank is no longer supportive enough.
The shank of a ballet shoe is a supportive aspect to a ballet dancer and if the shank is no longer stiff or strong enough to give adequate support to the arch of a ballet dancer, then that ballet shoe is dead already.
Worn out that you can feel the floor.
Ballet shoes are only comfortable when your feet fit into them perfectly.
When the ballet shoe is worn out to the stage that you are prominently feeling on the floor of the studio despite having the shoes on your feet, then it is the right time for you to change the shoe and get another pair.
Broken.
When your ballet shoe is broken, then it will not be able to perform optimal ballet activities when you need to and it is not good to even wear them in such conditions.
When your ballet shoes get torn or broken, then you should consider the shoes as dead and get another money to buy even if it is expensive.
No longer suitable for use.
When you feel that your ballet shoes are no longer suitable for your feet when you wear the shoes, you can discard the shoes and get another pair of shoes that will be suitable for you.
when they are out of shape.
Ballet shoes are prone to changes because they have a short lifecycle and if they get wet as a result of water and you are unable to clean them on time, the materials in the ballet shoes will distort the shape of the shoes and it will no longer work appropriately for you or other ballet dancers because the shape is no longer the same.
What to do with dead ballet shoes?
If your ballet shoes are dead or you consider them unfit to be used by yourself, a team member or your child, you can do one of the following things to the shoes.
Discard the shoes in the dustbin.
If your ballet shoes are dead, pick them up and throw them properly in a dustbin for them to be properly disposed of by the appropriate authorities.
This will ensure that the safety and hygiene of your environment are guaranteed and you will have no issue with a dirty environment.
Put them in recycling boxes.
You can also keep your dead ballet shoes in boxes or places that are designed for the collection of recyclable materials if your shoes are suitable for recycling.
Burn them in an incinerator.
If your ballet shoes are dead, you can choose to burn them in a designated area approved for disposing of trash through incinerators or fire.
Keep them in boxes for historical purposes.
You can also decide to keep your shoes in boxes so that you will bring them out in the future for historical purposes if they are dead.
You can also decide as part of keeping fond memories to store them for your children to see if you decide to do so and if you have the storage facility to keep them safely.
Conclusion.
The following are the real factors that you need to know that a ballet shoe can have before the shoes can be considered dead which consists of the following:
- The box and wings are no longer fit for you.
- Shank is no longer supportive enough.
- Worn out that you can feel the floor.
- Broken.
- No longer suitable for use.
- when they are out of shape
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