Every ballet dancer likes to prepare their pointe shoes differently and you learn through the years to find a way that works best for you.

My little routine starts with putting shellac on each pair of pointe shoes before I wear them, which gives them extra strength to last longer.

Once the shellac is dry (give at least 24 hours) I sew on the ribbons and elastics, making sure they're correctly placed to support my arches and keep my foot securely in the shoe.

Sometimes, the heels of my shoes still slip off despite this extra support so I keep a little pot of rosin in my dance bag to put on the heels, which always does the trick perfectly to keep the pointe shoe on.

Next, I stand on the box of the pointe shoe to widen the shape and I break in the shank as necessary to support my arch.

You can see more tips on pointe shoes here, including how to cut the costs -

https://www.balletdancersguide.com/cheap-pointe-shoes

How do you prepare your pointe shoes?

Best wishes,

Odette