Sewing Pointe Shoes and More
Welcome to the Pointe joint. This is a video about how to sew your pointe shoes. In this video I show you different types of elastic and ribbon that is available and what I actually use to sew my shoes.
Left or Right?
The first thing I do is I choose a left and a right shoe. I wear Freed special order pointe shoes, and because they're handmade, there's usually a shoe that looks or feels a little bit better on the right or the left foot. Machine made shoes, such as Gaynor Minden have less variation. So this step may not be necessary for every brand.
Ribbon:
There are a few different types of ribbon that you can choose from and different brands depending on what you like.
Satin ribbon: The one here is made by Freed. It's quite a traditional type of satin ribbon. There are a lot of satin ribbon choices out there.
Satin ribbon with an elastic piece: This one is made by Gaynor Minden, it's called the TLC Ribbon. This kind of ribbon can give you the support of satin ribbon, but it allows you to tie the ribbons a little tighter and solve loose looking ribbon. It can also be really good for dancers who have sensitive Achilles tendons. Dancer hack! You can make your own by sewing a piece of elastic into a traditional satin ribbon.
Elastic ribbon: This one is made by Body Wrappers. It is also good for dancers who have sensitive Achilles tendons. This type of ribbon is great for dancers who like the feel of ribbons being really snug, but with some give to them. It is also good if a dancer does not like them tight, and they won’t slide down the ankle. I use satin ribbon, made by Freed.
Elastic: There are many types of elastic. Some examples are.
One inch pink elastic made by Gaynor Minden that is nice and strong.
1/4 quarter inch elastic that I bought from a local material store.
Mesh elastic. This one made by Sansha, it has a silicone ribbing, that keeps it in place, or this Freed Vamp elastic which is what I use.
Let's talk about Thread:
I use button or carpet thread because it's really strong, but many dancers use regular thread, and some dancers use dental floss! It is easy to find and it's very strong.
Sewing! Fold the ribbon, before sewing it into the shoe so it doesn’t fray. Generally speaking, the ribbon needs to be sewn below the side of the heel of the shoe, but not so far down that there's no support. Sewn in the right place ribbons offer support and pull the shoe into the correct place. If ribbons are baggy, sometimes it's because they are sewn too far down the shoe. Over the years, I figured out that the width of my thumbprint just above the inseam was exactly where I wanted it to be. Sew the ribbon on an angle slightly forward. Like this /. This will hold the shoe in the correct place, offer support and prevent baggy ribbons. Sewing straight up and down is okay too, but I find slightly forward, is the best way to go. As you sew the ribbon across the top, near the draw string, it's important not to sew into the drawstring. I've done this a few times, accidentally, and it will hinder you from pulling the drawstring tight afterwards. Once I’ve finished sewing I fold the ribbon, and I cut the end in a V shape to avoid fraying.
Stiff satin on your brand of pointe shoes? Use a new, sharp quality needle and it will usually suffice but if not, try using a leather needle which will pierce stiffer fabric!
Next sew the elastics. Traditionally they are sewn on the inside of the shoe. However, it’s also common to sew it right on the outside! It can't be seen from a distance and the audience is usually far away. You don't have to sew elastics on your shoes. You can use rosin or water to keep them on your heels. However, most dancers do put elastic at the back of their shoes. Where you sew the elastics is a bit of trial and error. The idea is that elastics are sewn so that when you do demi pointe, your heels stay nice and secure. Over the years I've used all kinds of elastic. I wouldn't say one is necessarily better than the other. What I like about this mesh elastic is how see-through it is. When I have bare feet in my shoes you can’t really see the elastic so much. Again, it's really just a matter of preference.
Tying your ribbons!
Take the outside ribbon and wrap it around and finish on the inside of the ankle.
Take the inside ribbon, wrap it around underneath the ribbon that’s already around the ankle. Both ends of the ribbons will finish up on the top of the inside of the ankle.
Tie in a knot. Pull it through and hide it under the ribbons around the ankle. One of the ribbons will be longer than the other, if you tie ribbons like this. Trim to suit and cut it in a V again to avoid fraying.
There are many ways to tie ribbons. There's not just one way, but this is the way I do it because it looks nice and flat and the ribbons do not bag.
I hope you learned something and found this video useful!
*Remember when you put your pointe shoes on, always warm up! and check out my other videos on the Pointe Joint.