| Ballet as a performance art developed in the 17th | | | | ballet dance shoes, including pointe shoes made with a |
| Century courts of King Louis XIV in France, and ballet | | | | special toe box to accommodate the difficult pointe |
| dance shoes were inspired by the original high heels | | | | work that professional dancers are required to |
| the king wore for such early performances. The | | | | perform. Standard colours are shades of pink, and less |
| primitive models had uppers made from fine fabrics | | | | often, white or black. The other distinguishing |
| like damask and silk, and simple leather soles. | | | | characteristics of pointe shoes are the shank and the |
| Modern ballet shoes still seem quite simple, but the | | | | sole. |
| technology and materials have changed considerably. | | | | The shank is a particular type of insole typically made |
| Innovators like Charles Didelot challenged early | | | | from cardstock, burlap, leather, or plastic of varying |
| ballerinas to dance increasingly "en pointe" or on their | | | | thickness and length, and some dancers wear more |
| toes, and the level of technical skill, agility, and strength | | | | than one type for different performance styles. |
| required to perform the spinning, twirling, and leaping | | | | The sole is often a solid piece of leather that is sewn |
| manoeuvres demanded a better-developed style of | | | | into the surrounding fabric and is well hidden on the |
| shoe. | | | | bottom to accent a dancer's foot. Silk ribbons, a |
| Two other gentlemen earned a reputation for making | | | | drawstring tie or an elastic band secures the shoes |
| fine quality ballet dance shoes as ballet's popularity | | | | over the top of the ankle. Some ballet shoes have split |
| took hold in other parts of the world. | | | | soles for extra flexibility. |
| An Italian shoemaker named Savatore Capezio | | | | Then there are ballet slippers that are designed for |
| arrived in New York City in 1887 and began repairing | | | | softer floor and studio work. These lighter ballet dance |
| theatrical shoes for performers at the Metropolitan | | | | shoes are made from canvas or suede leather, and |
| Opera House. After making an emergency pair of | | | | have split soles for better flexibility and a more tactile |
| shoes for Jean de Reszke, Capezio began making | | | | feel. Dancers often use these shoes in practice or |
| shoes for some of the best dancers, and his company | | | | when pointe work is not required, and the uppers are |
| is one of the largest suppliers of dancewear today. | | | | sometimes dyed to match specific costumes if |
| The other prominent figure in the world of dance | | | | necessary. |
| apparel is Jacob Bloch, who followed much the same | | | | Ballet dance shoes are sized differently than |
| path to success in his native Australia around 1931. At | | | | conventional footwear, and each manufacturer may |
| the time, Russian ballet companies began to tour the | | | | have subtle differences in size runs. They are also |
| country, and Bloch's name spread among professional | | | | designed to fit snugly, but not to the point where they |
| dancers as a talented shoemaker who built an equally | | | | inhibit circulation or rub on a dancer's foot. The specific |
| prestigious brand of merchandise for the ballet | | | | fit requires that dancers try shoes on and choose |
| community. | | | | carefully, since they are vital tools for proper form and |
| Today, most traditional ballerinas have several pairs of | | | | function in ballet. |