How to make pointe shoes last longer

If you're a seasoned pointe dancer, you're probably used to seeing your shoes go from shiny to dead and dull.  If it feels like you are constantly going through shoes and you'd like them to last longer, take a look at some of my tips.

1.  See what shank strengths you can get for your preferred shoe.  If your shoe comes in a shank harder than the one you usually buy, try to get the harder shank next time you buy shoes.

2.  If you cannot get a harder shank, try applying glue to your pointe shoes where they wear out the fastest.  Use a liquid glue formulated for pointe shoes such as Jet glue or Daniels' pointe shoe glue.  You can apply the glue to the inside and outside of the shank where it breaks in your arch, as well as to the box (from the inside).  Make sure to let your shoes dry for at least 12 hours after gluing before you wear them.  

Some dancers also use this method to revitalize dead shoes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Swirl a floor polish like Mop and Glow inside the pointe shoes, the pour out the excess.  Place the shoes on a baking sheet covered in foil, and place them in the oven.  Turn the oven off, and let the shoes sit in the oven 8 hours or overnight.  The polish will re-harden the box and shank of the shoes, but it stains the satin a yellowish color and makes them super stiff.  This method is not exact, and it will take experimenting to find the perfect amount of polish.  Practice this method on an old pair of shoes you don't need before you try it with the pair you are wearing.  

3.  Make sure you let your pointe shoes dry completely after you wear them in class.  Your feet sweat and make your shoes damp.  If they don't get a chance to dry out, they will break down much quicker.  Get a mesh bag to put your shoes in after class.  This will allow air to circulate around your shoes.  Never put your toe pads inside your shoes for storage, this will just trap sweat and make it impossible for the shoes and pads to dry.  If you live in a very humid climate, you may need to leave your shoes to dry for a long time (24 hours or more) before they are completely dry.  Put crumpled newspaper in your shoes to help absorb moisture.  If you dance on pointe every day, you may need more than one pair of shoes to use at a time so you can let one dry while you dance on the other.

4.  Always wear tights over your feet and toe pads inside your pointe shoes.  This keeps the sweat from your foot from making direct contact with the inside of your shoe.  

5.  Use a wire brush to brush soles of your shoes if they are suede.  This will help keep dirt and gunk from making the shoes too slippery.  

6.  If the satin on the tips of your shoes becomes frayed quickly, you can cut it off (either as it frays or beforehand).  Just use sharp sewing scissors to trim the fabric.  You can use an exacto knife or box cutter to score the fabric if you are cutting it off an unused shoe (be careful!).  You can also darn the shoes with thick thread to keep the satin from wearing away at all.  There are plenty of online tutorials, none of which seem that great.  This one seems the most in-depth:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRF3Fjb8Edc . (Sorry, I don't have a tutorial; I don't darn my shoes).  Your teachers may also have good advice about how to darn shoes.  Additionally, you can sew or glue moleskin (available at drugstores and some dancewear stores) to the platform of your shoe to get the same effect.

Do you have any great tips about how to make pointe shoes last longer?  Lave a comment!