Pointe Shoes

As a teenager, I'd spend hours at a time trying on pointe shoes at San Francisco Dancewear. The search for the perfect fit felt as elusive as Ponce de León's Fountain of Youth. I really had no concrete idea what I was looking for, other than something that made my feet look good and didn't hurt—too much.

The School at Steps in New York City is hosting a pointe shoe workshop at their studios next Saturday. This year's event is geared toward dancers who are just starting out on pointe, but all levels are invited to attend. Hear from podiatrists, expert pointe shoe fitters, master teachers and professional dancers. After the discussion, representatives from Capezio, Freed, Grishko, Gaynor Minden and Sansha will be on hand to speak with dancers about their shoes and let them try on a variety of styles.

Date: October 15

Time: 5 to 7:30 pm

There's not a single ballet dancer I know who doesn't have a love/hate affair with her pointe shoes. Her artistry depends on her shoes never letting her down. But while they can give her the strength and support to find freedom onstage, if she doesn't have the right fit or doesn't understand how to use them, her shoes will simply be an endless source of blisters, bruised toenails, Achilles tendonitis and more.