Behind The Scenes: How Are Pointe Shoes Made? [Video]

Have you ever wondered: “How are pointe shoes made?” People always find it fascinating how dancers can stand on their toes, let alone, dance, jump and pirouette on them. I often get asked how I do it, if it hurts, and “how are pointe shoes made.”

Here’s a lovely video  from YouTube that summarizes the long process of pointe shoe construction in 2 short minutes. But before a bit of background the birth of pointe shoes, also known as toe shoes.

Pointe Shoe Background

The birth of the modern pointe shoe is often attributed to the early 20th century Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, who was one of the most famous and influential dancers of her time.

Pavlova had particularly high, arched insteps, which left her vulnerable to injury when dancing en pointe. She also had slender, tapered feet, resulting in excessive pressure applied to her big toes.

To compensate for this, she would insert toughened leather soles into her shoes for extra support and would flatten and harden the toe area to form a box.

For more on the history and making of pointe shoes, follow this link.

How Are Pointe Shoes Made?

Now to see how that box and the rest of the hardened shoe that makes a pointe shoe is made. Enjoy…

Video courtesy of YouTube.

So there you have it: The complete behind-the-scenes answer to the question: “How are pointe shoes made?”

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