Oh ya! You finally got permission to go on pointe! Now it’s time to choose your pointe shoes. We have an entire guide to for pointe shoe fitting here, but we always recommend to find your nearest professional to do an on-site fitting. The right fit ensures that you’ll be able to perform safely and build a rock-solid foundation for your technique. As you get ready for your pointe shoe fitting, here are a few common problems you may run into.
Common Pointe Shoe Problems
Pressure on your big toe
If you’re experiencing too much pressure on your big toe that most likely means you’re sinking into the box. To solve this, look for a more tapered pointe shoe. However, if you have long toes, then you may regularly experience a little more pressure on your big toe when you’re on pointe.
Pinching in the Metatarsal
There’s a problem with the width of the shoe. The width is correct when your feet are able to stay flat when on the floor, with no wiggle room when inside the shoe.
Sickling
Sickling is a common problem on pointe when dancers have difficulty getting over the box. To compensate, the dancer often relies on using her pinky toe to push. To solve this common problem, look for a softer shank. This will help you achieve better form without learning bad habits.
Like we mentioned before, always make sure to get fitted by a professional. When you run into problems with your pointe shoes, you encounter pain, discomfort, blisters, black toenails and even stress fractures. Yikes, right? Avoid the common pointe shoe problems that we mentioned above and you’ll set yourself up to strengthen the right muscle groups, learn correct form, avoid bad habits, and have an overall better experience.