Have you ever tried to switch your pointe shoes from left to right for some reason? It can be done, but there are a few practical things you may need to consider first.
Switching pointe shoes from left to right is possible, however, in order to do this successfully, you will need to re-stitch your ribbons. The reason for this is if you tie your knots correctly on the inside of your ankle bone, your inside ribbon length will be longer than the outside ribbon length. If you do not switch your ribbons once you have switched your shoes from left to right, your knot will end up on the outside of your ankle, which is not recommended at all. You need to have the longer length of ribbon on the inside of your foot/shoe.
One reason for the need to switch pointe shoes is if you have a prominently stronger foot, which will wear that particular shoe down prematurely. Switching the shoes over can keep the pair somewhat even.
Having a bunion forming your pointe shoes into a distinct shape makes switching shoes a little more difficult. Also, pointe shoes that utilise the heat responsive TMT or thermo morph technology cannot be easily switched, as once heated, the shoes are molded to the individual contours of the dancer’s foot.
From personal experience, I always made a point of trying my shoes on before stitching the ribbons, as I have an exostosis on my mid left foot. An exostosis is simply an extra piece of formed bone which causes a lump. Due to this formation, my shoe would slightly turn, making it very important to ascertain which shoe looked better on that particular foot.
Written by; Vicki Attard
