Toe Wrap Tape

[dancepig]

I'm not sure if this is a post for the adult students or a pointe shoe topic, but since I'm an adult student, I thought I would start it here. If any of you use the Gaynor Minden toe wrap tape, you know it usually costs anywhere from $6.00 to $8.00 a roll. I e-mailed Gaynor to see if they sold it in a larger size roll, but they said no. I then realized the tape is a 3M product (more specifically 3M Microfoam Elastic Tape) and did a search on the net and found it can be purchased for as low as $3.00 per roll! So I ordered it, and received it within two days even though I requested ground shipping, not second or overnight delivery. It is the exact same thing. If you enter 3m microfoam tape in the search (I used Yahoo) you'll find a lot of different places from which to order it, the site I used is: http://woundcareshop.safeshopper.com/116/384.htm?384

 

If you're unfamiliar with this tape, I have to tell you it is a wonderful thing. The tape is elastic so that it moves with your foot and it is sticky enough to stay on, but not so sticky that you can't get it off. I can usually reuse a piece several times. You can tear it with your fingers so that you don't need sicssors. I use it when using pointe shoes wrapped around my foot at the base of the toes because my feet are extremely compressable. I also use it to keep bandaids on my feet (when I get blisters). I also use it around any sore points when I'm just working out in the gym. So you can see a savings of $5.00 per roll reallys adds up for someone like me.

[Guest *Lili*]

Thanks for the information!

 

I've never used Gaynor Minden toe wrap tape.. In fact I don't use any tape, but I only do pointe twice a week for about a half hour. Next year, when I'll start doing more pointe work, maybe I'll need tape then, and I'll check that 3M product! It seems to be very effective.

Thanks!

 

Lili

[dancepig]

This is the description Gaynor gives:

 

Toe Wraps

Save skin, dishearten corns. And while you’re at it, make bunions feel unwelcome. No, this doesn’t require experimental treatment at some hush-hush clinic in Switzerland. All you need is Gaynor Minden’s elastic microfoam toe tape. It protects and cushions. It allows complete freedom of movement. It peels off without leaving sticky residue. This is the same soft, light, stretchy and resilient tape surgeons use. And now it’s available to fussy dancers like you.

[Miriam]

Don't you guys use pads then? I find the tip of my big toe hurts unbearably when not using any pads... It's okay when I'm actually on point, but when doing echappes it's excruciating... Is that me or my shoes?

 

ps If you haven't posted the message about buying the tape cheaper in Pointe Shoe topics yet, I think you should, there might be some teenage toetapers who'd like to save some money (or save their parents some money;) )

[Guest *Lili*]

Yes I use pads! I also have that same big toe problem... My big and second toe are those who get all the weight (but it hurts my big toe only?) since others are slightly shorter. I can do pointe for like 5 minutes without anything, but then my big toe hurts too much. So I use pads because of this. I use a jelly big tip, and some lambs wool, or lambs wool pads. On other days, I use jelly ouch pouches, but I find my pointe shoes a little small when using them. Maybe I would need smaller boxes, but my feet are quite large, and my toes almost the same lenght..

 

I think I would not have this problem if I had perfect fit shoes, but I've only had one pair so far... so it might take a while before I find the perfect pointe shoes!

[dancepig]

Gads, I have to use pads, in addition to the wrap, I use the Pillows for Pointe by Gellows, or something like that. It's a gel with a special fabric for sweating on the inside.

[Miriam]

Phew! You guys scared me.... not using pads... EEK! ;)

[psavola]

I found that my toes got used to the pressure at the tip. In my feet, the process took about six months, and when I did not do pointe, wore out in about 3 weeks. Now they're getting used to it again, and the process seems a bit faster.

 

If your shoes have been fitted with the pads, it is no wonder you cannot wear them without, since the pads change your foot size and shape, and if you ever take them off, your (now smaller) feet are going to crash into the box in no time, and cause some serious pressure on your carrying toes.

 

(Which is why I chickened out of using pads when I started pointe. All pad models looked so forbiddingly large, and I was afraid I could not dance with them, much less stop using them once I started. So I usually wear nothing; sometimes I pad my bunions/bunionettes with some lambswool if they feel irritated.)

 

Päivi

[Miriam]

Very brave! I actually bought my pointe shoes 3-4 years ago, didn't do too much work on them and then stopped for a couple of years... in the meanwhile my feet grew slightly so I can now wear my shoes without pads... ;)

I think the Bunheads ouchpouches are pretty thin and that it doesn't make much difference in how your shoe fits...

[psavola]

Not very brave, I'm afraid. Just too prejudiced, lazy and poor to fiddle around with different options. I confess I have regretted my choice one or two times.

 

I just wanted to point out that the pressure on the tip of toe is similar to the pressure at the ball of the foot when you have worn really high heels all day: Uncomfortable and even painful for the first few times, but if you continue to do it, eventually the foot just gets used to it.

 

Anyway, I did find ouch pouches thick enough to alter my pointe shoe size - I wear 4,5 in Gambas without, and I would have worn 5 with them. But wheter a pad alters pointe shoe size probably has - in addition to the thickness of a pad - a lot to do with the foot type and how "between sizes" a foot is in that particular brand.

 

Päivi

[Guest *Lili*]

I also find that the ouch pouches alter slightly the fit of my pointe shoes.. but I'm not sure that would be enough to need a half size bigger.. I feel alright with them, but I feel like my feet are just a little bit thight(sp?). Well I'm not sure yet.. I've used those only a couple of times. But I've actually been fitted with pads : very thin lamb's wool toe pads. And those are more comfortable than ouch pouches, but ouch pouches are better for my big toe!

[dancepig]

Have you tried jelly tips? They are a gel covering for just the big toe. They also have spacers for people who have a second toe which is bigger than the rest.

[Miriam]

Don't jellytips alter the fit of your pointeshoes then?

[Guest *Lili*]

Yes I've tried jelly tips! I usually use those on my big toe. And I don't find they alter the fit of my shoes... well I would say a tiny tiny tiny bit! ;) They don't take as much place in shoes than ouch pouches..

[Miriam]

Do you wear one on your second toe as well then?

I really want to "make" my second toe longer so I can stand on two instead of just the big one... but if I wear tips around the big and second they'd still be uneven... (my second toe is a couple of milimeters shorter than my big toe)...

How to solve this? :-)