How Professionals Break in their Pointe Shoes

No matter how many instructions you may read about how to break in your pointe shoes, the bottom line is that everyone has a slightly different method.

I love this clip about three Australian Ballet dancers and how they break in their pointe shoes:

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Here is another interesting article from Dance Magazine, which perfectly illustrates why there are so many different brands and styles of pointe shoe!  Every foot is different, and every dancer has different needs and preferences. It also gives some interesting insight into how dancers customize pointe shoes to fit:

If the shoe fits: six professionals tell their pointe shoe secrets.