I wear a size 7, width narrow in Gambas. I have gotten them before and they have fitten perfectly. But, the last pair that I got falls off every time I do demi-pointe and jumps, or basically everything that isnt on pointe. I tried tightening the elastic--it didnt help. I have to ofer 3 pairs for my summer intensive so I am going to order them .5 sizes smaller. But, what can I do with my almost brand new pair to make them wearable?? I dont just want to stop using them-but they dont fit right. Any suggestions?

Born2Dance - did you try them on before buying them?<P>ALWAYS, ALWAYS try the shoes on before buying. Every pair of shoes is different - and feet change too.<P>For this pair that is too large you can try to wear a pair of socks with them. Looks terrible - but it does work - if the seam in the socks on top of the toes doesn't bother you.<P>

Sounds like your shoe might be too small. When you're en pointe, do you have a small pinch of fabric at the heel of your shoe? If you don't, then you're in a shoe too small.<P>If this is the case, discard the shoes and get new ones. I know this sounds like a waste, but so much damage can be done to the foot in a pointe shoe that is too small. ESPECIALLY don't go to a summer intensive in these shoes - so much dancing in too small shoes would be disasterous.

I thought she said that the shoe was too large? <P>If the shoe is too small, then Bree is certainly right - NEVER dance in a shoe that is too small. You can get tendonitis and that is very painful, and can become chronic. You can also get bunions and that can lead to arthritis.

...Which leads me to another question. When reading her post, the first thing that came to mind was "oh, her shoe is too small" because of this:<P>But, the last pair that I got falls off every time I do demi-pointe and jumps, or basically everything that isnt on pointe. I tried tightening the elastic--it didnt help.<P>Is there a "standard" fitting...um, technique for pointe shoes? I know that in the Capezio merchandise catalogue there are pointe shoe fitting guidelines, but are these standard? So many girls in my classes (past and present) have had shoes that are, in retrospect, too small, but who thought they were too big and kept trying to hold the shoe on with elastics and rosin.<P>I know that if, by looking at a used pointe shoe, there is and excess amount of dirt on the heel of the shoe, it may be too short. My guideline for myself has always been if, when I'm en pointe, the sole of the shoe comes just a bit shy of the end of my heel, the shoe fits. That works for me, but is it a rule for others?<P>Just wondering...we talk about preparing the shoe all the time, but less about fitting.

Bree - my response is that in my opinion there is no standard that can be applied across the board. Feet are so very individualistic - and I think the shoes are too.<P>I don't remember having an experience in which the shoe popped off because it was too small. Usually if that were the case - I couldn't get them on in the first place, or my foot felt very squeezed. If I could get a too small shoe on it would usually threaten to come off while standing flat rather than in relevé. <P> I even found that the usual rule of thumb about being able to squeeze a bit of the cloth just above the heel when standing on pointe - didn't always work. Some people have very narrow heels.<P>When I checked the fit of the shoes that my students bought, I looked at how the foot looked in the shoe. I looked at the "action" of the foot in the shoe. I looked at how the last of the shoe affected the foot - did it throw the foot off center? Did the length of the vamp interfere with the action of the foot? Did the shoe look crooked on the foot? They have to look like one mechanism, not two different entities tied together.<P>When I went into the shop I always started with the size I regularly wore - but that didn't stop me from trying other sizes, both length and width. And, if another size worked - so be it - that's what I bought.<P><BR><p>[This message has been edited by Basheva (edited June 05, 2001).]