Fitting Guide
Finding a perfect dance shoe or garment
is very satisfying. But getting the right size is essential
– it affects performance (and appearance!). So, here’s our
guide to ensure you have the best fit possible.
Ballet Shoes
Ballet Shoes fit differently from other shoes – they are designed
so that the toes come to the front of the shoe, so that the
footwork can be easily seen. So, even in a pair of ballet shoes
that are too large, the toes will still come to the front of
the shoe. In contrast to outdoor shoes, growth room can be
seen mostly at the back of the shoe. To check the fit of your
ballet shoes:
- Always try your ballet shoes on a clean surface so that
if they don’t fit correctly they can be returned.
- Check that you are wearing ballet socks or tights (these
are much thinner than normal socks/tights).
- Look at the ballet shoe when the wearer is standing with
both feet flat on the floor. None of the toes should be crunched,
or pressing tightly at the end of the shoes – if they are,
then the shoe is too small. Equally, there shouldn’t be too
much room beyond the toes, so that the leather at the tip
of the shoe can be folded over – in which case the shoe is
too big.
- Look at the growth room at the back of the shoe by pointing
the foot to the side – with a perfect fit, there should be
approximately a finger’s width (a pinch) at the back. Any
more room than this ‘pinch’ and the shoe will slip during
class (not good for the teacher to be able to accurately
see the footwork and a potential tripping hazard).
Too big
Excess of leather around shoe.
Just right
Smooth toes. No excess of leather at tip of shoe. A finger’s
width growth room at back of shoe.
Remember, ballet shoe leather is very soft and will ‘give’
and mould to the shape of the foot, within the first few times
they are worn. There is no ‘left’ or ‘right’ initially, so
always mark the shoe left and right after the first time it
is worn, to ensure the leather moulds perfectly to each foot.
If in doubt, always ask your ballet teacher to check
the fit of your new shoes before wearing them in class.
For all ballet shoes, please order a full size larger than UK shoe size