Buying the best Ballet shoes for your child

When buying ballet shoes for your child it’s very important to make sure the shoe fits them correctly. In order to get the correct fit there are several elements that you need to take into account.

There are two main types of ballet shoe. The first are Soft Ballet Shoes which are very lightweight. They usually have a leather, canvas or satin upper and a suede sole. They’re designed to offer support for the student’s feet. Once the student begins to develop their muscle tone and their bones ossify, they’ll be able to use a type of shoe called a pointe shoe. This type of shoe enables the dancer to stand on their toes – or en pointe.

Ballet shoes are designed to protect the student’s feet and ankles in order to enable them to give their best possible performance. It is often tempting to buy a pair that the child will grow into. However, this is not a good idea as this will encourage the dancer to curl their toes in order to keep the shoes on their feet. If the shoes are too small, the toes will be crammed into the end which may prevent the dancer from being able to achieve standing en pointe – one of the greatest joys and achievements in Learning Ballet.

You need to make sure the ballet shoes you choose are of a good quality so they will last for as long as possible and provide maximum comfort for the student. There are many manufacturers to choose from such as Bloch, Capezio, So Danca, and Dance Gear. All of these have been supplying dancers of all abilities with high quality ballet shoes and other dancewear for many years.

There are many other items that all new dance students require such as a leotard, ballet tights and Ballet Socks. All of this dance kit will need to be carried to and from dance class. Whilst there is nothing wrong with using a carrier bag from the local supermarket, you will find that there is a wide array of stylish dance bags available that don’t necessarily have to break the bank. These will help protect the shoes and are available in a wide range of different colours too. Many of them can also double up as school bags!

You can purchase your child’s ballet shoes and other dancewear from any good specialist dance shop. This is preferable to shopping from a more general shop (some supermarkets have been known to stock a small range of ballet shoes) because they are able to offer specialist advice about all the dance gear your child needs. Specialist dance shops also stock a wide array of other types of gear such as ballet tights, leotards, ballet socks and much more so you can get your child all kitted out at the same place!

About the Author

Dance Gear Direct are experts in providing dance wear with over 30 years experience. For more information about our extensive range of ballet shoes please visit our website www.dancegeardirect.co.uk.

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