ok, i am sure that what i am about to ask and say will infuriate any serious pointe dancer, but i don't know where else to ask, so here's a little history on me and then my question...

i love dance. i got started late in dance (after high school), but it's something that i really have a passion for (and turned out to be pretty good at). i've taken jazz/advanced jazz, modern, choreography, and remedial ballet classes at my local jr. college many times over.
there's the background on me
now, i've been obsessed with pointe shoes since i first laid eyes on a ballerina when i was very small. i've read all of the horror stories about trying to wear pointe shoes without an informed and experienced teacher, and have (until now) let it be.
i just purchased a pair of semi-inexpensive pointe shoes because i would really love to wear them for costume purposes (not for serious dancing). i do not have the training (or the turnout ) to really get into these shoes any time soon, so if i ruin them for dancing purposes, it's ok. i just want to be able to wear them with a costume without causing extreme damage to my feet. is this possible? what can i do to break these babies in?

thanks a lot!

If you just need them to be more comfortable on your feet for walking, you could try putting some alcohol on the places that seem to be stiff and walk in the shoes until they dry. You should sew some ribbons on them to keep them from falling off. However, you should not be going up "on pointe" in them! As you yourself mentioned (and I will agree!), dancing on pointe takes a lot of strength, and several years of serious ballet study are required for pointe readiness.

Hi designkat and welcome to CriticalDance. Thanks for your question and we'll look forward to your future postings.

GN~

thanks for the tip! but before i do this, i want to make sure i got it right....
i can put rubbing alcohol on the inside of the box of the shoe? (that's where it's stiffest) what's the secret of the alcohol? does it soften the box without dissolving the glue or something?

thanks again!

I used to pour the alcohol on while my foot was in the shoe so that it would mould to my foot. Alcohol does not stain the satin or leave a water mark.

kat, I did exactly what Lucy said in the previous post...the alcohol goes on the outside of the box.

<small>[ 23 June 2004, 12:20 AM: Message edited by: GN ]</small>

You can also soften the box with your hands.... give your shoes a good "massage" and you will see how quickly they get soft

thanks everyone! i really appriciate the help!

one question, though, GN and Lucy...

how much alcohol? do i just pour it on and really soak 'em, or do i put on just a tiny amount? should i put my feet in and pour till i can feel moisture?

Hi kat...put your foot in the shoe, and then just pour a little bit at a time on the places that feel really stiff and uncomfortable. Enough should be used to go through the layers so they will be able to mold to your foot. Walk around in them until they dry. Alcohol dries much more quickly than water, so it shouldn't take too long.

If it's a costume you're after, why not wear beautiful satin 'technique' shoes and add some ribbons? You'll have the beautiful finish without the pain...

Or, if it's simply to walk in them and have the same look as pointes but not the inconvenience of the hard shank/box, I recommend soft pointes (you cannot go on pointes in either of my suggestions, but in any case, I wouldn't recommend it anyway without proper training beforehand):
Eg (but other brand do them too; it's just to show you how alike they are to pointes):
https://www.dancedirectworld.com/product.php?id=237&cat=Shoes&scat=Pointe%20Shoes