Ballet in Trainers/Sneakers?

[Kate B]

I just thought I would post a question that has come up on the buddy board.

 

Basically, I wondered whether it was common or possible for dancers coming back after injury to come back sooner if they wear alternative footwear such as Capezio dance trainers that gives them more cushioning/support than ballet shoes? If the teachers or other students have any experience of this I would be very interested to hear.

 

Thanks!

[Mel Johnson]

Wear them when? To class, or as streetwear? I can't say that I've ever seen the former, but I've even got personal experience of wearing jazz oxfords instead of regular dress shoes when I've had wounds healing on my feet.

[Kate B]

Sorry, I mean in class. The reason being, in my case, that my stress fractures are nearly healed but I'm not allowed to do any dancing in bare feet/ballet shoes until I've had more physio/osteopath treatment, which will be a few months. On the buddy board we were talking about whether one could wear these trainers in class to prevent stress fractures/other injuries recurring.

[Mel Johnson]

I think you could do it successfully, but again, the general rule for returning from a stress fracture is take it easy. The additional support of trainers/dance sneakers could help. A lot depends on what your teacher thinks.

[Guest kristinene]

I've taken some ballet classes in shoes - so I'm going to give you my 2 cents! Watch out for your ankles! I don't mean twisting them, I mean hitting them with the working foot!

 

I've worn shoes for other forms of dancing, but I'm only had this problem when I'm in ballet class. After years of wearing slippers the extra millimeters of material of a jazz shoe or dance sneaker heel are very noticeable. Especially when doing frappes!

 

Hope that you heal up quickly and completely!

[Guest beckster]

Kate, my teacher wears these

 

http://www.freedoflondon.com/cat/catalog_d...od_code=P/jazzb

 

I don't know if they would have enough support for you, though. For some reason I find the idea of using the actual split-sole trainers in class a bit weird because they are so chunky - but if that's what you need to do, I say go for it.

[Kate B]

I'm thinking I might get away with it in contemporary... Also thinking of doing jazz or street or something until fit enough to go without supporting foot wear.

 

Pretty shoes!

[old shoe]

I've worn Block jazz sneakers (trainers) in ballet class when my deteriorating knee feels as though it needs a break. I haven't worn them for the barre, but have put them on for petite and grande allegro. They worked pretty well.

[Kate B]

Hooray! Just got back from the PT. She said that when I get orthotics (in a week or two) she can see no reason why I shouldn't wear them in dance trainers. She said I am a lot better! I'm so pleased.