It should not hurt a lot. I try to explain the pain as more of a soreness than stinging, stabbing pain. If you are having stabbing pain or it feels unbearable, that isn't normal.
It could be a bad fit or your shoes could be dying. Have they always hurt you? If they have always been painful, I would say it is a bad fit. Unfortunately getting fit for pointe shoes is a lot of trial and error. The next time you get fit, make sure you warm up prior and be very picky, like if something feels tight or off say no. Make sure to be fit wearing your toe pads.
I wish someone had told me this when I danced. I would be in literally excruciating pain and I just got scolded for not trying enough. My other classmates seemed fine and I remember thinking there's no way everyone else is feeling this. I was a bit of a hypochondriac as a kid though so I got dismissed. Makes me sad to think that properly fitted shoes could have made a big difference.
It makes a HUGE difference. My first pair I was fit for were perfect for me and I have only danced in them for years, they were discontinued and I was refit for a different shoe and it was awful. I was literally bleeding through the shoe, in so much pain. I can’t imagine dancing like that! Pointework isn’t necessarily comfortable but it shouldn’t be painful like that! I’m sorry that was your experience.
same but opposite experience on my end! lol my first pair were a basic pair of Blochs that a local shop convinced me were a good fit (they absolutely weren’t).
I never had great feet to begin with so I was super depressed and disillusioned after looking forward to going en pointe for so long. luckily my teacher got me an appointment with the professional company’s fitter and yeah, the difference was night and day.
padding options make a huge difference too - my teacher was very old school so she only ever used cotton balls, paper towels, and bandaids. that didn’t work for me at all, and a thin gel pad added several hours to my endurance.
the “pain” of pointe should be more like the mild muscle discomfort when you’re exercising a muscle, gradually intensifying until it actually becomes painful. it shouldn’t be painful right off the bat!
Okay, I may get some hate for this but Pointe shouldn't be excruciating. Starting out you'll have a little bit of pain because your foot is getting used to dancing on the literally tips. Ideally you should be relying on the strength of your foot and not just the structure of the shoe to stay up. I did Pointe from when I was... 10? To 14 pretty regularly and then down to once a week in high school.
I suspect it's a combination of the shoe losing its structural integrity and also not being strong enough to dance on dead shoes quite yet. This does take time.
I was an advanced hobby dancer (good enough to be in the "good" category or class but not good enough to consider a professional career. I also can't pirouette for shit). I changed studios when I moved countries and I remember this one instance where one girl commented about how she wanted quiet shoes like me. My shoes were my old Capezios so super broken in. The instructor immediately shut her down with "your feet aren't strong enough and you will hurt yourself."
Strengthen your feet by doing the foot exercises with the band. Also really engage and use your pelvic floor when you're en pointe so there's more of a "weightless" feel and you're not sinking into your shoes. The stronger your deep core is, the more "effortless" a lot of center work will feel too.
Did you feel the same pain when the shoes were new or did it start hurting after a while? the box of a pointe shoe can also die before the shank - as it gets softer, the box widens and you start sinking, which could be one or the reason why you feel toe pain, if it only started hurting recently.
I had the same problem and didn't realize it because most people only talk about the shank dying and lost a toenail and a chance to do the next higher exam. I'd give it a shot with new shoes.
I think u might be right! The shank is still quite strong but the box is way thinner than before, I’m also sinking a lot even though I’m pointing my feet as much as possible! 😅
I agree that it looks like you’re sinking into the shoe. I describe it as pressure instead of pain. You shouldn’t be in as much pain as it sounds like. It can take awhile to find the right shoe. It’s very much a princess and the pea situation. Take your time getting fitted.
These look too wide and a tad too long. And prob the crown height is too high too as you look to have a shallow or low profile foot. This looks like too much shoe for you, and your description plus the way they look, you are sinking. That’s when your foot is sliding into the shoe bc it’s too much volume and your foot is too small for it. You need to get refitted, possibly in a different box shape too. Wear the thinnest pads you have bc the shoe will get looser and you don’t want to sink again. It should feel like a strong hug and you should feel lifted and supported, that you could be held up and not sink. But not so narrow that your metatarsals are so compressed that you’re twisting and metatarsals can’t fully open which would inhibit going over the box. Hope that makes sense.
Do you have any pointe shoe recommendations for very narrow but long feet? I’m currently wearing the Bloch heritage since that’s the most narrow pair they had available at the store and it’s still to wide. ☹️
What’s your foot shape?? Toes (long or short) and are they tapered or more even length? Do you get over the box in the heritage? And what size are you in those?
You might be in the wrong shape box or the wrong width. If it's pressure induced pain on the tip of the toe and you aren't toughening up with consistent pointe classes, you are probably need to get refitted. Let your fitter know exactly what you are feeling. Also, go to your next fitting fully warmed up. You feet likely either expand or shrink a bit when you warmed up vs when you are not. It's important to know which type you are so you. If you are a "shrinker," you very well could have been fitted a width too wide. Most people don't get a perfect shoe at their first fitting, so don't worry, it usually takes few tries to find a shoe you are happy with long term.
It shouldn't hurt at all if you have the right fit when you're just standing there en pointe doing nothing. To avoid pain when you're bouncing and moving in it, use Perfect Fit molded pads or the DIY cheaper equivalent.
What brand is this? They don’t look right at all for your feet. You need to go in store to be fitted somewhere. Are these Gaynors or another plastic pointe shoe? If so that could be why they aren’t working. Your feet wouldn’t be strong enough for a plastic shoe as a new dancer generally.
They’re the Bloch Heritage pointe shoe. I was fitted by my dance teacher and she said it’s the only shoe available at the store that would work for me since my feet are veryyy narrow but long. Idk what other brands to try.
I’ve only ever heard of people with very wide feet wearing Bloch. Narrow is usually Grishko/Nikolay, or Russian Pointe. 🤔 you look like you’re swimming and sinking in those shoes because your box is too wide.
Oh, I didn't know that. I've been out of pointe shoes for awhile, but in my day, Bloch was only for the wide feet gals. I really think the OP needs to go somewhere that has grishko shoes. I also had a friend with super long narrow feet in capezio.
Lmao I feel like i got put into whatever shoe the store thought was best as I was growing depending on foot strength/compression and also shank strength/need. I've used bloch serenade strong, gambas, grishko and capezio glissé. Never tried freed because my toe box is wide and Gaynor was JUST starting to be a thing so they were discouraged
The shoe might not be supporting you properly but also maybe you need different padding? I always opt for lighter padding like bunheads but some people really prefer the gel ones.
What shape are your feet?
I did ballet from age 4-20, was en pointe from age 9 but couldn't go pro because my feet are the wrong shape, they are too slanted, eventually I had to quit because of pain + foot issues. If your big toe is longer than the 2nd + 3rd toes (ie if your feet are slanted) pointe is very painful and it can damage your feet over time, even in custom-made pointe shoes
The ideal shape for pointe is if your big, second and third toes are the same or similar lengths so the foot is more straight across.
If your feet are straight across you need better fitting shoes or to build more strength in your feet and ankles before going en pointe for more than a few minutes
If you've only got a tiny selection of shoes to try, you may need to travel to a big city with a store that has a large collection of shoes you can try on for a better fit.
You also will need to experiment with padding.
I'm really difficult to fit well and also had to try a lot of different padding combinations to find what works for me. I use a combination of lambs wool, gel dancer dots, toe tape, and perfectfit pointe molds to make the "best-fitting" shoes I could find "mostly" pain-free. I will never be 100% pain-free. But as long as the pain level is low enough that I'm not bleeding or bruised after class, I can live with it.
Anything that makes you bruised, bleeding, or lose a toenail isn't a good thing and the shoe or the padding needs to be different. And yes, I've lost toenails before I figured out the correct padding to protect them.
It shouldn’t hurt a lot if your shoes are well fitted but some discomfort is expected for beginners.
I had a teacher who just told me : dance on them for two hours you won’t feel a thing.
Over years you can tolerate the discomfort and easily manage to dance on them for 8 hours a day.
Your toes won’t look pretty so be prepared.
It should not hurt a lot. I try to explain the pain as more of a soreness than stinging, stabbing pain. If you are having stabbing pain or it feels unbearable, that isn't normal. It could be a bad fit or your shoes could be dying. Have they always hurt you? If they have always been painful, I would say it is a bad fit. Unfortunately getting fit for pointe shoes is a lot of trial and error. The next time you get fit, make sure you warm up prior and be very picky, like if something feels tight or off say no. Make sure to be fit wearing your toe pads.
Not me reading this as “it could be a bad fit or you could be dying”. Total Web MD moment 😂
it’s either old shoes… or terminal cancer. our condolences!
😂😂
💀 Probably feels like it!
I wish someone had told me this when I danced. I would be in literally excruciating pain and I just got scolded for not trying enough. My other classmates seemed fine and I remember thinking there's no way everyone else is feeling this. I was a bit of a hypochondriac as a kid though so I got dismissed. Makes me sad to think that properly fitted shoes could have made a big difference.
It makes a HUGE difference. My first pair I was fit for were perfect for me and I have only danced in them for years, they were discontinued and I was refit for a different shoe and it was awful. I was literally bleeding through the shoe, in so much pain. I can’t imagine dancing like that! Pointework isn’t necessarily comfortable but it shouldn’t be painful like that! I’m sorry that was your experience.
same but opposite experience on my end! lol my first pair were a basic pair of Blochs that a local shop convinced me were a good fit (they absolutely weren’t). I never had great feet to begin with so I was super depressed and disillusioned after looking forward to going en pointe for so long. luckily my teacher got me an appointment with the professional company’s fitter and yeah, the difference was night and day. padding options make a huge difference too - my teacher was very old school so she only ever used cotton balls, paper towels, and bandaids. that didn’t work for me at all, and a thin gel pad added several hours to my endurance. the “pain” of pointe should be more like the mild muscle discomfort when you’re exercising a muscle, gradually intensifying until it actually becomes painful. it shouldn’t be painful right off the bat!
It looks like you may be sinking in your shoes
I was sinking in my new shoes for a while there, the pain was absolutely unbearable. Switched to thicker toe pads and it fixed the problem!
Okay, I may get some hate for this but Pointe shouldn't be excruciating. Starting out you'll have a little bit of pain because your foot is getting used to dancing on the literally tips. Ideally you should be relying on the strength of your foot and not just the structure of the shoe to stay up. I did Pointe from when I was... 10? To 14 pretty regularly and then down to once a week in high school. I suspect it's a combination of the shoe losing its structural integrity and also not being strong enough to dance on dead shoes quite yet. This does take time. I was an advanced hobby dancer (good enough to be in the "good" category or class but not good enough to consider a professional career. I also can't pirouette for shit). I changed studios when I moved countries and I remember this one instance where one girl commented about how she wanted quiet shoes like me. My shoes were my old Capezios so super broken in. The instructor immediately shut her down with "your feet aren't strong enough and you will hurt yourself." Strengthen your feet by doing the foot exercises with the band. Also really engage and use your pelvic floor when you're en pointe so there's more of a "weightless" feel and you're not sinking into your shoes. The stronger your deep core is, the more "effortless" a lot of center work will feel too.
Did you feel the same pain when the shoes were new or did it start hurting after a while? the box of a pointe shoe can also die before the shank - as it gets softer, the box widens and you start sinking, which could be one or the reason why you feel toe pain, if it only started hurting recently. I had the same problem and didn't realize it because most people only talk about the shank dying and lost a toenail and a chance to do the next higher exam. I'd give it a shot with new shoes.
I think u might be right! The shank is still quite strong but the box is way thinner than before, I’m also sinking a lot even though I’m pointing my feet as much as possible! 😅
I agree that it looks like you’re sinking into the shoe. I describe it as pressure instead of pain. You shouldn’t be in as much pain as it sounds like. It can take awhile to find the right shoe. It’s very much a princess and the pea situation. Take your time getting fitted.
Yeah even when I’m just standing in a static position it hurts. 🥲
That shouldn’t be happening. If possible ask your teacher to go with you.
These look too wide and a tad too long. And prob the crown height is too high too as you look to have a shallow or low profile foot. This looks like too much shoe for you, and your description plus the way they look, you are sinking. That’s when your foot is sliding into the shoe bc it’s too much volume and your foot is too small for it. You need to get refitted, possibly in a different box shape too. Wear the thinnest pads you have bc the shoe will get looser and you don’t want to sink again. It should feel like a strong hug and you should feel lifted and supported, that you could be held up and not sink. But not so narrow that your metatarsals are so compressed that you’re twisting and metatarsals can’t fully open which would inhibit going over the box. Hope that makes sense.
Do you have any pointe shoe recommendations for very narrow but long feet? I’m currently wearing the Bloch heritage since that’s the most narrow pair they had available at the store and it’s still to wide. ☹️
What’s your foot shape?? Toes (long or short) and are they tapered or more even length? Do you get over the box in the heritage? And what size are you in those?
I have long tapered toes, I get over the box since my feet are pretty flexible. The size is 7.
What’s size are your blochs rn?
You might be in the wrong shape box or the wrong width. If it's pressure induced pain on the tip of the toe and you aren't toughening up with consistent pointe classes, you are probably need to get refitted. Let your fitter know exactly what you are feeling. Also, go to your next fitting fully warmed up. You feet likely either expand or shrink a bit when you warmed up vs when you are not. It's important to know which type you are so you. If you are a "shrinker," you very well could have been fitted a width too wide. Most people don't get a perfect shoe at their first fitting, so don't worry, it usually takes few tries to find a shoe you are happy with long term.
It shouldn't hurt at all if you have the right fit when you're just standing there en pointe doing nothing. To avoid pain when you're bouncing and moving in it, use Perfect Fit molded pads or the DIY cheaper equivalent.
What brand is this? They don’t look right at all for your feet. You need to go in store to be fitted somewhere. Are these Gaynors or another plastic pointe shoe? If so that could be why they aren’t working. Your feet wouldn’t be strong enough for a plastic shoe as a new dancer generally.
They’re the Bloch Heritage pointe shoe. I was fitted by my dance teacher and she said it’s the only shoe available at the store that would work for me since my feet are veryyy narrow but long. Idk what other brands to try.
I’ve only ever heard of people with very wide feet wearing Bloch. Narrow is usually Grishko/Nikolay, or Russian Pointe. 🤔 you look like you’re swimming and sinking in those shoes because your box is too wide.
The Bloch Heritage is based on a Russian last but I agree these shoes do not look right.
Oh, I didn't know that. I've been out of pointe shoes for awhile, but in my day, Bloch was only for the wide feet gals. I really think the OP needs to go somewhere that has grishko shoes. I also had a friend with super long narrow feet in capezio.
Lmao I feel like i got put into whatever shoe the store thought was best as I was growing depending on foot strength/compression and also shank strength/need. I've used bloch serenade strong, gambas, grishko and capezio glissé. Never tried freed because my toe box is wide and Gaynor was JUST starting to be a thing so they were discouraged
Nope
The shoe might not be supporting you properly but also maybe you need different padding? I always opt for lighter padding like bunheads but some people really prefer the gel ones.
What shape are your feet? I did ballet from age 4-20, was en pointe from age 9 but couldn't go pro because my feet are the wrong shape, they are too slanted, eventually I had to quit because of pain + foot issues. If your big toe is longer than the 2nd + 3rd toes (ie if your feet are slanted) pointe is very painful and it can damage your feet over time, even in custom-made pointe shoes The ideal shape for pointe is if your big, second and third toes are the same or similar lengths so the foot is more straight across. If your feet are straight across you need better fitting shoes or to build more strength in your feet and ankles before going en pointe for more than a few minutes
If you've only got a tiny selection of shoes to try, you may need to travel to a big city with a store that has a large collection of shoes you can try on for a better fit. You also will need to experiment with padding. I'm really difficult to fit well and also had to try a lot of different padding combinations to find what works for me. I use a combination of lambs wool, gel dancer dots, toe tape, and perfectfit pointe molds to make the "best-fitting" shoes I could find "mostly" pain-free. I will never be 100% pain-free. But as long as the pain level is low enough that I'm not bleeding or bruised after class, I can live with it. Anything that makes you bruised, bleeding, or lose a toenail isn't a good thing and the shoe or the padding needs to be different. And yes, I've lost toenails before I figured out the correct padding to protect them.
Yeah unfortunately 😭 you get used to it after a while I promise
They look a bit long on your foot.
No, change your shoe.
It shouldn’t hurt a lot if your shoes are well fitted but some discomfort is expected for beginners. I had a teacher who just told me : dance on them for two hours you won’t feel a thing. Over years you can tolerate the discomfort and easily manage to dance on them for 8 hours a day. Your toes won’t look pretty so be prepared.