Pointe shoes used by ballerinas are one of the biggest mysteries people are interested in exploring.
Due to the sheer number of pointe shoes that are used daily by ballet dancers, the question of why pointe shoes wear out so quickly is on the minds and lips of many spectators.
This article will examine reasons why pointe shoes wear out so quickly and what can be done to stop the problem if possible.
Why do pointe shoes wear out so quickly?
Pointe shoes wear out so quickly because they are made from materials that are not meant to last and due to the sheer amount of usage a ballerina can do with the shoe in a single day.
Ballet shoes don’t last for more than a few days for beginners who are trying to learn how it works and sometimes for hours for a professional ballet dancer.
This makes the shoe one with the shortest lifecycle among other shoes of a similar nature.
However, it is good to understand that there is a combination of factors that make the shoes wear out quickly when they are used for ballet practices or when ballerinas are conducting a choreography performance.
The combination of such factors as we are going to examine below will give you a clear glimpse into why they are fast in wearing out and the peculiar nature of ballet pointe shoes that makes them different from other shoes.
- Usage.
- Maintenance.
- Skill level.
- Age.
- Climate.
- Quality.
- Dampness/sweet.
Usage.
Pointe shoes are used for more than 8 to ten hours at a go depending on the capacity of a ballerina and the occasion for which she is training.
The usage of pointe shoes depends on the experience and expertise of the ballet dancer who wears them.
The more professional she is, the higher the chances that the pointe shoes will wear out quickly.
However, for an amateur or ballet dancer doing it as a hobby from time to time, pointe shoes may last a little bit longer than that of a professional.
Maintenance.
Pointe shoes are designed not for maintenance purposes but strictly for performance only.
The reason why they wear out quickly is that they can’t be maintained like other types of shoes.
This results from the first process of breaking it which professional ballerinas do before using and due to the materials used in the production of pointe shoes which are naturally not durable.
Skill level.
The skill level of a ballet dancer is also another factor leading to the wear out of pointe shoes quickly.
A professional ballerina can use up to two pointe shoes in a day depending on the level of practice and the prestige of the team or company she or he is working for.
Some companies made it a policy to be changing pointe shoes as soon as it was used during ballet to increase the comfort of the ballet dancer and safeguard their most critical asset which is the feet.
Age.
The age of a ballerina also factors into the process of getting the shoe to wear out quickly.
A young ballet dancer will have her pointe shoes lasting a bit longer than a mature ballet dancer.
This is due to the time each will spend training, the agility, the weight of the individuals involved and the frequency of their performance.
Climate.
Climatic conditions can lead to quick wear out of pointe shoes if it is not favourable.
During winter, pointe shoes can last a bit longer than when used during summer periods.
This is because the amount of time, and the ability to come out for training and performance is less during winter months than outside the winter.
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Quality.
Brand quality also matters in the process of a pointe shoe wearing out quickly.
The more quality pointe shoe producers put into it when creating them, the higher the chances of not wearing out like others.
Dampness/sweat.
Damp and sweating is a major factors to be considered when looking for why pointe shoes wear out quickly.
Pointe shoes are not breathable thereby trapping sweat from a ballerina’s feet into the shoe leading to the shoe becoming damp and reducing the strength of the materials in the shoe such as the cardboard papers, the glue and the satin material.
Conclusion.
Pointe shoes wear out quickly as a result of several factors which we explain in this article and how crucial they are to the longevity of pointe shoes in the services of a ballet dancer.
These factors are as follows:
- Usage.
- Maintenance.
- Skill level.
- Age.
- Climate.
- Quality.
- Humidity.
- Dampness/sweet.
All the above needed to be factored in when looking for reasons why ballet pointe shoes wear out fast.