It’s your shoe, it’s your feet ... care of pointe shoe!

I'm Mary Ann from Mary Ann’s Dance and More and when we fit pointe shoes, we go through a little bit of education and I wanted to share that with you here…just a little piece of it.

We explain what a point she was made out of it is basically cardboard and paste with the exception of the Gaynor Minden, which is a polymer.

We explained that if your pointe shoes get to this stage, squishy and flexible, the shank is broken, the boxes soft, you are way beyond needing a new pair of pointe shoes. If they get to this point, you are in the danger zone for hurting yourself. So, before your shoes get to that point, please come in.

But did you know that pointe shoes only get about 20-25 hours average of dancing on them. Do you know why you sweat most in your feet? When your box gets wet from your sweat, it starts to break down, then it dries, then it gets wet. Think of paper mache when it gets dry, it gets brittle. So that's what's going to happen to your box and you can break the shank if you have a very strong arch and um that's a whole other thing.

I want to focus on the toe box, keep your shoes dry. How can you do that? A couple of simple steps.

Do not leave your toe pads in your shoes. That is just harboring moisture, not only for your toe pad, but also for the shoe. When you're done with class, make sure your toe pad comes out of your shoe and is put them in a bag with holes. Not only the shoes but your toe pad to dry out as well because you don't want to put a wet toe pad in a dry shoe. So, the simplest easiest way, take the toe pad out, you will have ribbons and elastic hanging on the outside of your bag, never leave it in your bag, it's dark, it's going to hold the moisture and you know how they smell already? Well in a closed bag, they're going to smell even worse! Take them out, hang them over the dance bag, hang them over a door, the back of your chair with the ribbons and elastic, anything that's going to help air circulate.

We have mesh bags that will do that for you again, don't leave the mesh bag in your bag, but take it out and then you can just leave the shoe and the toe pads to air out before between classes.

The other thing you can do is get some shoe deodorizers. These are natural bamboo, they last two years but they're going to do, they're going to not only act like an deodorizer but a dehumidifier, they’re going to suck up the moisture to help keep your shoes dry.

Now the exception is the Gaynor Minden, you still do not want to leave it in your bag or keep your toe pad in it. The shoe will last a little bit longer. The way you know this shoe is broken, is the satin is going to break down.

So just a few quick tips to help your points to last a little bit longer and join us for more tips, because we like to educate as well as fit because it is your shoe, it is your feet.