How tight should i knot up my drawstrings on my ballet shoes? Should i pull it as far as it can go? How tight is too tight for ballet shoes?

Also, how do you usually tie/knot your drawstrings? Do people usually knot it, or do they tie it in a bow?

I hope this makes sense... hehe

Too tight would be when the blood can't circulate properly.

I think it's a personal thing, but the drawstring is there to maintain the shoe on the foot, while still having the flexibility to point/flex the foot. In fact, a good fitted shoe doesn't really need a drawstring that much (it should fit like a glove). It's a final tidbit to make it really snug...

I personally tie it in a knot (to secure it), then a bow and I sew it in place. Once I have tied it to my liking, I don't find a need to touch it after that. I also cut the extra length, as they're usually too long and are sore at the instep (I sometimes place a bit of bandaid on top of it, to smooth it even more -to avoid the rubbing of the knot).

Don't cut it too short or tie your bow/knot too loose! My daughter made that mistake and you can picture me frantically trying to get the elastic string back in right before a dress rehearsal ... not a pretty sight...

For my students in flat ballet slippers, I often recommend taking masking tape and tape the bow underneath the top of the shoe. This way, the bow doesn't come out, the strings don't show, and it's easy to adjust it this is necessary.

For pointe shoes, however, I will sometimes go with (it depends!) on what Deborah Hadley used to recommend and this is just taking the drawstrings out completely, as "they are useless."

Try experimenting around, tying it tighter or looser. Tie a bow, so you can change it later. At times, I tie my shoes tigheter or looser, depending on the needs of the moment.

If your shoes have elastic drawstrings, tie a single knot and tighten or loosen unitl you feel it is just right. then tie a double or triple knot and cut off the excess. If you have growing feet, you may not want to do this.

MJ