I won't be starting pointe till next year, but I am a curious person. What happens at a pointe shoe fitting? And do the fitters tell you how to "break" in the shoes or is that you teachers job? What is it like en pointe?

At a pointe shoe fitting at a reputable shop the fitter should look at your feet and assess their shape and structure. They should then offer you a variety of shoes to try on and in conjunctions with your opinions to how they feel and their trained eye, they should guide you towards the best fitting shoe for your fit and level of experience.

It is important to go to a reputable stockist that stocks a selection of makes and has trained fitters. Your teacher should be able to advise you of somewhere suitable.

Both the shoe fitter and your teacher should be able to give help and advice on breaking the shoes in and caring for your shoes but in case you want some additional info there is an excellent book called "The Pointe Shoe Book" by Janice Barringer.

Have fun!