Pointe Shoes History

The Evolution of Pointe Shoes

Dancing "en pointe" is one of the many unique details of ballet that has evolved through the years. Ballet, the popular form of dance, was brought to life in Italy in the 15th century and soon introduced to the French culture. Over many years the art form has changed drastically. It has gone from people wearing heeled dance shoes with gowns and suits, to dancers in companies today that wear tutus with corsets and men wearing tight to accentuate their muscles. One of the most dramatic changes in the world of ballet is of the pointe shoes, and they are still evolving today. Pointe shoes were first seen in the 19th century, just after the heel was taken off the shoe to create the ballet slipper. Marie Taglioni

Pointe shoes today are very stiff to support the dancer: “Today, pointe shoes have a hard combined vamp and box, and shanks come in many different lengths” (2). So the dancer can to balance “en pointe”, the shoe has a box and vamp to support the metatarsals and toes. The arch of the foot is protected by the shank, which can be harder or softer depending on the strength of the foot. George Balanchine, one of the greatest in the ballet world, had a certain look that he thought was right when it came to the pointe shoe. “He worked with Salvatore Capezio to develop and patent pointe shoes to produced the exact lines of the foot and leg he thought beautiful, and to be quieter and less clunky than earlier pointe shoes” (Fischer 3). Balanchine’s efforts to create a beautiful line were much appreciated in the ballet world. They are much like pointe shoes now. He had the vision of a more graceful figure and believed that dancers should be able to dance on the structure of these shoes for much more than a few seconds. With this, the dancer bodies changed as the shoes changed. Ballerina’s muscles have lengthened and lines they want created bunions on their feet (3). The pointe shoes worn today have gone through the process of evolution since the 19th century, and are still evolving