Dance shoes have their own characteristics and secrets. Of particular interest are professional ballet pointe slippers. They are quite rigid and have no division into right and left. For ease of wearing and fixation on the leg, tapes are used in their design. We will tell you in detail how to choose and sew them to pointe shoes, what material and tools to choose, in this article.
Is it possible to replace the ribbons on ballet shoes yourself?
The need to replace ribbons on ballet shoes can arise in different cases: poor quality fabric due to prolonged use, squeezing ribbons, or even simply inappropriate colors. If for one reason or another you need to modernize and improve your pointe shoes, you can do it yourself at home.
It seems that such shoes require the hand of a professional and there is nothing you can do here yourself. But actually it is not. Replacing tapes will not require deep knowledge from you, a lot of time and material.You can buy all the necessary fabrics, tools and supplies at any nearby fabric store.
Which tapes to choose
Before you begin restoration activities, you should carefully consider the choice of materials that will be in your future shoes. This is especially important due to the specific nature of pointe shoes. The fact is that during classes, rehearsals and concerts, a ballerina performs many different elements that differ in difficulty level. Enormous loads on the legs do not go unnoticed. To reduce these loads, fix the joints and prevent dislocations, ballet shoes should be selected strictly according to the size of the foot. And the tapes ensure a confident position of the foot and ankle joint.
The best material would be special satin ribbons that match the color and width.. Currently, there are also tapes with various inserts made of silicone or elastic material.
IMPORTANT! If it is necessary to strengthen the fixation of dance shoes, elastic bands are used. They create the necessary tension and stay comfortable on your feet. However, you should not tie them too tightly to avoid squeezing the blood vessels.
How to sew ribbons
An important issue is the choice of sewing tools. To maintain strength and not damage the material of the shoe itself, you need to choose the right threads and needles. First of all, the threads must be strong and the needles not too large.
For this purpose, needles of small and medium diameter with a neat eye are suitable so as not to leave large holes. You need to buy thin but durable threads in pastel colors. Many people advise using dental floss for these purposes, since it meets the required characteristics.
How to properly sew ribbons to ballet shoes
After preparing all the necessary material, you can start sewing. Follow the instructions carefully and you will have a great pair of dance shoes that you can practice in comfortably.
- Choose the sizes to suit your feet. The optimal width will be from 2 to 3 cm. Too narrow ones will cut into the skin, and wide ones take up a lot of space and look ugly. Length approximately 2.5 meters.
- Cut 4 equal parts and burn the edges to prevent the threads from unraveling.
- To choose the place where the future ribbon will be attached, bend the ballet shoes from the heel towards the toe. Draw a fold line with a pencil. It will serve as a guide.
- Sew a strip of satin along the inside of the pointe shoe at the angle that corresponds to the pencil mark.
- Do the same with the rest of the ribbons.
TIP: When sewing on satin, do not thread the needle all the way through so that the threads do not expose the outer surface. It is recommended to stitch only the inner layer and the canvas layer.
The replacement is quite easy to do yourself. Using the instructions and step-by-step plan, you can easily make your dance shoes comfortable and comfortable.
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