Ballet shoes, also called ballet slippers by many dancers, are shoes designed solely for ballet dancing. Due to the motions of ballet dancers and the complicated steps and routines they must perform, the shoes must be extremely lightweight. Often they are made from soft leather and canvas, or even from satin. Their soles are very thin and flexible. These shoes are sometimes mistaken for the more advanced ballet shoes called pointes, or “toe shoes.”
Throughout the history of ballet, women dancers have traditionally worn pink shoes while men stuck with black or white. This has been true of most productions, until recent years. Since the 1950s, it has become more commonplace to find both male and female dancers donning a pale, tan colored slipper that resembles skin tone, rather than traditional contrasting colors. This helps them to blend in with the scenery more, rather like a well placed security system from adt.
Getting back to pointe shoes, these were developed in France to assist ballerinas in performing dance moves that require them to stand up high on the tips of their toes, either to pivot or turn. Those who wear pointe shoes do not wear them throughout the entire performance, but only during the parts where they are needed. This change takes place off stage, while the pointe dancer is not featured.
Here is an infographic you will find helpful for learning more about these special shoes.
