The Story of Pointe Shoes

Pointe shoes are a staple part of ballet and its entire art form. They symbolize grace, beauty, and most
of all, an incredible amount of strength. The modern pointe shoe has gone through many modifications
to be what it is now. During the early 1800's they had not created such a product yet, and dancers often
would go on their toes very briefly due to the lack of support.
The First Pointe Shoe

The first real "pointe shoe" did not exist until Anna Pavlova, a Russian ballet dancer during the early 20th
century, needed more support due to her unusually arched feet. When she would go up onto her toes
(en pointe), she was very susceptible to injury and so to relieve pressure, she inserted a type of leather
sole inside of her ballet slipper. She also flattened the end of her shoes near h er toes to create a type of
hardened box as well. This is generally the same formula for the modern pointe shoe.
1 - Anna Pavlova's shoe
Why were they created?

The creation of pointe shoes and pointe work was to create an almost "floating" effect. Before pointe
shoes were even made, there was a type of flying machine that was sometimes used to carry dancers to
their toes. It created the illusion of the dancers to be very light on their feet.
2 - Charles Didelot, the man who created the "flying machine"
Extraction Process to Make Pointe Shoes
Companies don't explicitly state where products first come from, but based on what the products are,
you can make an estimate as to where these companies receive material from.

Satin: Satin is a product of silk. Silk is harvested from silkworms when they are in their cocoon (because
it's part of the material) which are most commonly in China due to the amount of production of silk
there. This means that it's highly likely that companies would get their satin from China because of the
huge amount of silk that is there and shipped.

Leather: Leather comes from the skin of animals (most often cows) if it is genuine leather (like pointe
shoes use). Most commonly leather is produced in China, Italy, India, Brazil, Korea, and Russia.
Companies that are trying to save money most likely order their leather from China since it is the leading
producer of leather and it would be most cost efficient since there is a massive amount from there.

Burlap: Burlap comes from the skin of the jute plant. It's a great product because it's cheap and it's very
durable (one of the strongest). It's especially great for pointe shoes because of its strength and its
resistance to moisture, which is so important when dancers may sweat or get water on their shoes.
Often burlap comes from India or Bangladesh since a majority of jute plants are there. Companies would
most likely order from India due to the volume of burlap created there and also the cost.

Elastic: The rubber can either be made naturally or synthetically. If it's natural, it would come from latex,
which is straight from plants. Most commonly they use the "rubber tree" also called Hevea brasiliensis.
Most of the rubber/latex comes from that tree because it is able to make a lot rather than using smaller
plants. Most natural/latex rubber comes from Liberia since there is a huge plantation there that has
been there for about 100 years. To make synthetic rubber, petrochemicals are used at chemical plants.
The most common synthetic rubber is neoprene and it's created by reacting together acetylene and
hydrochloric acid. Synthetic rubbers are often made in France, Germany, and the United States.

Canvas: Canvas is made with cotton now when it was previously made using hemp and linen. Cotton is
woven into the product we call canvas. The canvas can be woven in different types of stretches so that
people can choose what kind they prefer. Companies would most likely get their canvas from China
because they are a top producer and also because it would be cheaper.

Social issues related to the extraction process are that it can cause a lot of controversy with animal
rights activists because of the use of real leather and also using silkworms. It can also contribute to child
labour because many factories in countries such as China/India often use child labour to take advantage.
Also it can stir up trouble with those concerned for the environment because almost all of the process is
not environmentally friendly and can cause a lot of concern to them

Environmental issues related to the extraction process are that a lot of chemicals are required for canvas
and rubber production which can contribute to a lot of pollution. The use of massive factories als o adds
to pollution. Also, animals are harmed during the process so it attacks the population of animals
therefore hurting the environment. Multiple plants are needed as well and are destroyed in the process
of making these products/materials.
3 - Silkworm

4 - Leather

5 - Jute plant
6 - Rubber tree

7 - Canvas
The Production of the Modern Pointe Shoe

Despite there being small differences between each shoe (as there are small variations in styles to
accommodate for each dancer), there are still the same few steps to make one. To explain, I am
referring to the way that pointe shoes are made by the company "Capezio," which is a popular company
that makes many types of dancewear including pointe shoes. Capezio only has two main factories in
Florida and in New Jersey. These are where shoes are made by hand. They state on their website, "We
maintain an ethical, healthy and profitable environment in which each of our employees endeavours to
provide excellence in our products and services, while promoting company growth." This isn't
completely clear, but it does give the impressions that they are an ethical company that cares for its
staff. First they take a strip of leather that has to go through a stamping process, creating what will be
the sole/shank of the shoe. This supports the dancer when she rises but is also flexible enough for easy
movement. Then, they sew together satin and canvas to create an inside lining of the shoes to protect
the foot, and a drawstring made out of elastic is installed so that the foot can be secured when
tightened. After this, the shoemaker will make arguably the most important part of the shoe, the box.
The box is the end of the shoe (by the toes) and its purpose is to be a stable surface for the dancer to
rise and dance on. The box is made out of burlap and satin layered together with glue. This hardens as
the glue dries to become a strong platform. Then the outside satin is sewn with the box together with
the leather sole/shank. Once this is done, the shoe is almost complete. Shoemakers then will
hammer/shape the box/platform to make sure the bottom is even for balance. To make su re that the
product is presentable, the outside is cleaned and the shoe is set to dry until is it packaged and sold to
customers. Thus far through my research I didn't see any social issues with how their shoes were made
because they are handmade by skilled professionals (not child labour). Environmentally, it is true that
Capezio does not use vegan leather so we do know that all products require the use of animals.
How it's Distributed?
Pointe shoes, specifically Capezio, can be found almost anywhere in the world. Their brand is quite
popular and products can be purchased in-store or online. This product is advertised a lot online through
social media, for example: Instagram. They advertise themselves as a Dancewear brand with products
for not only the average dancer at class, but elite professionals as well. Capezio also relies on
endorsements from popular dancers to influence young dancers to follow in the steps of their idols. One
of the dancers they have used has been Misty Copeland, an inspirational principal dancer with the
American Ballet Company. She's known to be their first African-American female principal dancer (the
highest position, also called a prima ballerina). Capezio also made Maddie Ziegler the face of Capezio.
Ziegler is a talented dancer in various styles, making her very appealing to all dancers because of her
versatility. She is also a young (17) Internet personality which makes her also appeal to different
audiences. Environmentally, it can be hard to judge as it's shipped like many packages (especially if you
order from far away), which can pollute the earth from the process of cargo. They also don't make how
their products are distributed and how it affects the environment on any of their websites, which can
look suspicious. Socially, their advertisements don't seem problematic. They do choose a diverse
amount of dancers to show off their products and they also seem to not discriminate, which is very
important for the dance scene, because traditionally, dance (like ballet) was/is very strict on what
dancers look like and how they are built regardless if it's just how they are born or not.

8 - Misty Copeland
9 - Maddie Ziegler
Disposing of Pointe Shoes
One of the most unfortunate things about pointe shoes is that they have a very short lifespan. It
depends on the dancer and their level of expertise. Professionals often only use a pair for one
performance night, and beginners can expect that they will last about a few hours to 12 hours of wear.
This means that they may last a couple months at best. It can be confusing as to why these shoes break
down, but it's simple when you realize that a lot of the products that go into making them are simply not
that strong and dancers put a lot of pressure on them. Fun fact: these shoes are about $70-100 each
(which just goes to show how costly being a dancer can be just for shoes) and so it is an incredible
market for dance companies. You can't donate these shoes in a majority of cases because once they are
used, it is often no good anymore for someone else to use. Dancers almost always modify their shoes by
darning them, putting extra glue, adding elastics and ribbons, cut the shank, and many more to make
them as personally comfortable as possible. This harms the value of the shoes and makes them
completely personal to the dancer. Once dancers have declared their shoe as "dead," they often just
throw them out in the garbage because they can not be recycled. This is really bad for the environmen t
because it turns into a lot of waste since they can't be recycled, they can't be donated, they don't last
long so they have to be replaced, and there isn't much dancers can do to increase longevity or do
anything to help with the waste because they don't have a choice to not use the shoes and the shoes
can not be put anywhere else. Socially, this can be an issue for those trying to manage waste without
disturbing the dance community. These shoes fill landfills which can spread pollution.
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