5 Tips To Make Your Pointe Shoes Last Longer

We know pointe shoes aren’t cheap, but as fitters, the number of girls coming in with beyond dead shoes is alarming! Dancing is dead shoes can be dangerous and cause injury. If you want to make your pointe shoes last as long as possible, keep reading for all the tips!

1. Let Them Dry Out Completely

Damp shoes will break down faster. After you’ve worn your pointe shoes, let them completely dry out before wearing them again. Also, DO NOT close sweaty, damp pointe shoes in your dance bag. We recommend storing your pointe shoes in a net bag so they can properly dry out. (Just don’t keep your net bag inside your dance bag!)

2. Have Two Pairs And Alternate Them

If you dance on pointe 2 or more days in a row, we highly suggest having two pairs of pointe shoes and alternate wearing them. This will allow them to completely dry out before wearing them again which will make both pairs last longer.

3. Let Your Feet Break In Your Pointe Shoes

Letting your feet break in your pointe shoes instead of manually breaking them in helps them last longer too! When you manually break them in, you also have the potential to accidently break the shoe itself. Manually breaking in the shoe is great if you need it for one performance, but if you’re trying to make your shoes last as long as possible, don’t do it!

4. Don’t Leave Toe Pads In Your Pointe Shoes

Even if you’re storing your pointe shoes in a net bag, if you leave your sweaty toe pads in the shoes, they can not dry out properly. Make sure you store your toe pads separate from your pointe shoes! The net bags we sell even have a pocket inside for your toe pads.

5. Jet Glue

If you are desperate to get another class or performance out of your shoes, jet glue can save the day! If you want to prevent your shoes from breaking in so quickly, you can use a little jet glue on a new pair too (just apply it slowlyyy.) Don’t jet glue your shoes more than once or twice though. If you need more than that, it’s past time for a new pair! Also, jet glue won’t help shoes made with plastic such as the Dreampointe, Smartpointe, and Gaynor Minden pointe shoes.

Are there any tips you love that helps your shoes last longer? Let us know in the comments which will help other dancers out!