How to take care of dance shoes and extend their longevity

Taking care of dance shoes is one of the basic conditions for dancing. After all, what other than health and healthy feet do you need for dance?
Just imagine: 6 bones, 33 joints, 107 links, 19 muscles and tendons and 145,000 sweat glands at each leg. Do you still wonder why it is important to have good shoes that you regularly take care of? A single shoe protects all of this. Think about this next time you wear dance shoes.

LONGEVITY OF THE SHOE IS ESSENTIAL

Many people wonder why quality dance shoes are so expensive. Well, it depends. Most quality ballet shoes are handmade, made from strong and reliable materials. Even though everyone has a different level of dance skills, someone dances every day and someone stays on their toes only a few times a month, however, you have the shelf life in your hands.
So let's take a look at how to extend it and learn how to repair it, clean it and store it.

TIP # 1: DRY YOUR SHOES

Probably the most basic problem is moisture, which destroys the fibers, joints, adhesives and general material of the footwear, causing its gradual deterioration. Because most of the day you have shoes on your feet, the natural moisture from your foot is soaked into your shoe. So make sure you always give your shoe a chance to dry whenever possible. CAREFUL! Not on the radiator though.

TIP # 2: TIGHTEN YOUR SHOE WELL

Always make sure your shoe is firmly on your feet. Carefully fastening and tying the shoe makes it more resistant to breaking and stress than the shoe. You will kill two flies with one shot, because you save the wear on your shoes while eliminating the risk of injury.

TIP # 3: SWITCH UP YOUR SHOES

We recommend dancers to use at least two pairs of shoes for a dance style. The dancer has the opportunity to change shoes between trainings and while one pair of shoes recovers-drying, the other pair works. Eventually, you will find it cheaper because the wear and the time will be evenly distributed to two pairs of shoes. Practice has shown that a dancer consumes fewer shoes a year than if working with only one pair.

TIP # 4: ADJUSTING THE SHOE

The dancers make a frequent mistake, especially in the case of ballet shoes, when they violently break their shoes, knock it uncontrollably with a hammer or hit the shoe with other objects. They are trying to adapt the shoe thinking this is the right way to do it. We recommend that you go very easy. The shoe should fit naturally with the foot during training. The shelf life is significantly reduced by force and abuse. The protective, medical and cleaning equipment are available in our range of accessories.

TIP # 5: CARRYING SHOES

Usually right after the purchase the dancer spoils his shoes, carries them carefully and puts them aside. Once the 'new' state passes, the shoes are forgotten and we treat them as if it were just a rag. Take care of them all the time, carry them and store them safely. Store them away from other shoes so that they do not smell you and see how to extend their life.

TIP # 6: SHOE CLEANING AND REPAIR 

In case your shoes become dirty or damaged, use only cleaners and repair materials recommended by experts and suitable for the type of your shoe. If you opt for another solution, believe that you will do more harm than good. Never put your shoes, ballet pointes or dance shoes in the washing machine, they will loose shape and the material will be damaged immediately.

TIP # 7: PURCHASE FROM EXPERTS

Trust verified sellers and believe that not every seller wants to fool you. There are also those for whom dancing is as passionate as it is for you and they are sincerely interested in helping you and advise the best solution for your foot.
If you have any questions or need help choosing the right type of shoes, read our article on What Decides in Choosing a Ballet Pointe shoes.
... or contact us directly, we are always here for you :)