Unlike flip-flops, sliding feet into ballet slippers can be hard-nut-to-crack because of their unusual size and shape. Whether you want to surprise your little one with ballet slippers or buy one for yourself, you might feel confused between different sizes and shapes of ballet slippers.
Therefore, finding a good pair of ballet slippers that fits perfectly is an achievement in itself so that you can freely dance around in your ballet slippers. Generally, your ballet slippers should fit ideally with the size of your feet without leaving any room for toes, arch, heel, or ankle to sneak out.
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Before we proceed further, let us first discuss what ballet slippers are and how they are different from other types of slippers.
What Are Ballet Slippers?
Put simply, ballet slippers are a lightweight, less skin-revealing, and soft type of slippers mainly used for ballet dancing. Mostly, ballet slippers are made up of soft leather, canvas, satin, or hard-rubber available in pink color for women and black for men.
In general, the price of the ballet slippers may vary depending on the material used in making the slipper. For example, leather is more pricey than canvas and satin that offer the same level of quality, durability, and convenience to the user.
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How Do You Choose Ballet Slipper Size?
As mentioned earlier, choosing the right ballet slipper size can be a bit of a hassle as it comes in a variety of sizes and shapes. With this much variety, it can be hard and confusing for you to decide which one is the best fit for you.
Since ballet slippers are mostly designed for dancers with small feet, most of them are sized one inch smaller than the regular shoe sizes.
For example, if your regular shoe size is 10, the ideal ballet slipper size for you should be somewhere around 7-8.
If you’re still confused, try to go for a ballet slipper size at least 2 inches larger than your regular shoe size.
How Should Ballet Slippers Fit Adults?
Let’s face it; ballet slippers are not made for big feet, so finding a good pair of ballet slippers that fits adults can be a challenge.
If you’re looking for the best ballet slippers for adults, aim for a size that is neither too loose nor tight on your feet. Also, check if the slipper fits well, cover your toe and ankle to make you feel comfortable, snuggly, and balanced to dance like a ballerina.
How Should Ballet Slippers Fit Kids?
Whether you’re buying ballet slippers for the first time or have many in your closet, finding one that fits kids well can be complex.
When you’re trying to buy one, make sure the ballet slippers fit perfectly with the size of your child’s feet. To adjust the size a little, you can also make your little one wear socks or tights to give ballet slippers a good shape.
Here is a quick breakdown of the most common signs to determine if the ballet slippers fit best for your kid or not.
1. No gap between the arch of the foot and the side of the slippers.
2. Toes should lay straight and flat without having space to slide a finger in.
3. Shouldn’t curl the toes inside the shoe.
4. Shouldn’t squeeze the ball or toe.
5. The binding should not hurt the heel.
6. Back steam should neither be too tight nor loose.
7. Split sole and arch panel should balance each other
8. The front or top shouldn’t stress the toe
9. The ribbons should secure well.
How Do You Know What Size You Are In Pointe Shoes?
As the name says, pointe shoes are a sleeker, lightweight, and sylph-like designed type of shoe with a firm and curved tip. Because of their unique shape, it becomes a little hard to decide the exact size of pointe shoes to consider when buying one.
For your ease, we’ve compiled these 5 simple hacks to choose the right pointe shoe size easily.
1. Put a sheet of paper on the floor.
2. Place both of your feet on the paper and line it in a perpendicular motion.
3. Now, take a pencil and draw an outline to the shape of your feet on the paper.
4. Lastly, put the paper on a flat surface and measure the distance from the heel to the toe with the help of a ruler.
If done right, this hack can help you find a good pair of pointe shoes that will make you feel comfortable and offer balance while dancing.
Do You Go Up a Size In Ballet Slippers?
Finding the right-sized ballet slippers might give you a hard time wrapping your head with different sizes. Therefore, a good rule is to go a size up in ballet slippers, so you always have room to adjust your feet.
Another benefit of going with a bigger size is that you won’t have to worry about adjusting your growing feet later.
What Do You Do If Your Ballet Slippers Are Too Big?
If you’ve mistakenly bought ballet slippers larger than your feet, the best rule of thumb is to shrink them off to reduce their size by a few inches.
However, this hack only works for ballet shoes made up of either leather or rubber that are washable and can shrink to a specific extent. Unlike canvases, you can easily wash soft-leather-made ballet slippers and let them dry as well as shrink to feel the difference in size.
How Do You Make Ballet Slippers Smaller?
Since every ballet slipper is made different from the other, chances are higher that you may end up buying ballet slippers smaller than your regular shoe size.
If you can relate to this problem, here is a quick and simple hack for you to follow.
To make a ballet slipper size smaller, all you have to do is soak the shoes in cold water for a few hours in a washer. Set a timer for two hours, which is ideal to shrink the microfibres and have a reduced size of ballet shoes that comes from shrinking.
This hack works for the majority of ballet slippers except for those made of canvas that can’t shrink in water. Most ballet slippers come in stretchable fabrics, so there is room for a small adjustment to make if you feel the slippers are really tight.
Tips: Don’t stretch the fabric too much; otherwise, it may lose its shape, and you might have to buy a new one when your feet grow.
Also, some ballet slippers come with drawstrings, so you can easily adjust the width of the slippers by a few inches. All you’ve to do is hold the drawstring, clasp them on your toe, pull it up, and tie a double knot to secure the drawstring.
If none of this works for you, the only option you’re left with is to reorder an inch smaller from the current size of your shoes.
How Tight Should Ballet Slippers Be?
Unlike other types of footwear, ballet slippers are made up of a special type of fabric, designed to fit like tight socks or foot gloves with curved or pointed tips. When buying ballet slippers, choose a pair that is not too tight to curl or pinch your toes which can cause you serious pain while dancing.
The same applies to buying a ballet slipper that is too loose which may make you feel baggy in your shoes.
Do Ballet Slippers Have a Left-right?
Breaking the myth, ballet slippers don’t have left-right as this footwear is made up of fabric without the presence of a sole. Because of this, it can be hard to decide which one is right or left in ballet slippers.
To kick away this confusion, a best practice is to try the ballet shoes on your feet and mark the left and right ones on your own.
Another interesting thing about ballet slippers is that they can easily take up the shape of your feet because of their unique material composition.
So, the ballet slipper you wear on the left side will take the natural shape of your left foot. Meanwhile, the ballet you wear on the right side will take the natural shape of your right foot.
Conclusion
Long story short, ballet shoes are another name for dancing shoes and should fit well with the size of your feet. Once you’ve purchased your pair of ballet shoes, try them on your feet and see how the shoes look and feel down there.
Buying a ballet slipper may not come easy to you because of the huge variety in size, material, shape, cost, and other factors.
Therefore, it’s better to do your share of homework so you don’t end up buying a pair of ballet slippers that break your dance performance on the stage.
If you’re still clueless, don’t hesitate to seek help from your ballet teacher, who has the experience and expertise to find the best ballet slippers for you.
