Spacer Roundup

When ballet dancers wear pointe shoes, some use spacers to help align their toes within their shoes.  Like many things in the dance world, there are many options for spacers.  This guide will go over the most common styles and how they are used.

Classic spacers

These are the most common type of spacers used in the dance world, and they are also commonly used by athletes like skiers and hikers.  They are great for filling a gap or providing comfort between the first and second toes.  What I find a bit nonsensical, though, is that these are probably the least effective in preventing and correcting bunions.  Because these spacers are short in height, the big toe can still curve inward over the spacer.  Due to this, I highly recommend this type of spacer to dancers who need to fill a gap between the toes, but I don't think it's the best choice to correct bunions that are already present.

Oversized or "P" spacers

These big spacers are perfect for keeping the big toe from curving inward.  Because they are usually as tall as the big toe, it can't curve over the spacer.  Nothing is more effective for preventing or correcting bunions.  However, because these spacers are very large, they take up a lot of space in shoes and may not work well for small-boned dancers.

Mini spacers

These are meant to go between toes other than the big and second toes.  If you get blisters between your toes or have pinky-toe-side bunions, mini spacers can be a big help.  When using them, you may need to add some tape over and/or under the toes you place the spacer between in order to keep it from falling out.

Wedge spacers

Wedge spacers can be a good alternative to oversized spacers for younger or smaller dancers.  They also prevent the big toe from curving inward, but they are usually made of softer and more flexible gel material than oversized spacers.  Tape may need to be used with these as well since they are less secure between the toes.

Homemade spacers

If you think you might benefit from spacers but don't want to buy them yet, you can make your own temporary ones.  A foam wedge makeup sponge can be a good trial run for a wedge spacer.  A cotton ball or two slipped between the first and second toes can imitate the feel of a classic spacer.  Small ovals of craft foam can be a slightly-less-flexible alternative to mini spacers.