Poll: How long do dd's pointe shoes last?

[eskimopieo]

I see there hasn't been a poll on this board in AGES and I feel like starting a little trouble...

 

How long does a pair of pointe shoes last in your house? As mom to a beginner pointe student who recently replaced her first shoes after outgrowing rather than wearing them out, I exempt myself from this poll!

 

I apologize in advance if this question causes you to think about how many pairs you are actually buying in a year..$$$$

[fendrock]

My daughter is in her second year en pointe, just bumped up to four 30-minute pointe classes a week -- and I've bought three pairs in nine months.

 

Pointe shoes average about $65 for us, and my daughter also enjoys experimenting with toe pads -- $28 for the last gel pair.

[bebebalrina]

We buy shoes every 3 months, or should I say I buy my DD pointe shoes!!

She dances 5 days a week about 7 hours on pointe. She has now learned to trade off with her two pairs that we bought. We buy them from discount dance for about $48.00.

[Guest lurry]

My dd goes through a pair of freed "x" in roughly 2.5 weeks.

[mmded]

The length of time depends on how careful my daughter is at drying them out after they are worn. They don't last very long if they are left in a dance bag after an hour of pointe. I keep encouraging her to have two pairs going at a time so they can dry out completely but that would mean sewing two sets of ribbons and elastics on at one time. For those parents who have daughters just starting out their feet do get stronger and shoes do last longer. My daughter could break a shank in one class in the beginning and we were having to order double shank shoes that other kids could never break in. That has slowed down to three or four pairs a month during periods of lots of rehersals down to one pair a month for just normal scheduled classes.

[lillianna]

Mine goes through 1-2 pairs per week. All of her classes and rehearsals are on pointe. She is daughter number 3 and is in line with how often her big sisters used shoes. When they reached this level, they would go through 2 pairs per week on average.

[Guest ivy'smama]

WOW!!! I don't feel so bad after all. My DD's shoes last about a month per pair only because she does alternate two pairs at a time. We have found that they last longer when they dry out completely between classes. She hates having to sew pointe shoes, but I insist. I'll buy them, but she has to sew them!

[mmded]

My daughter sews hers with dental floss. No more ribbons coming loose. The floss doesn't tangle as easily as thread can.

[sujet59]

DD has pointe class 4 times a week. I usually buy her a pair of pointe shoes every 2 months. She actually has 2 pairs that she alternates during that time so that each pair can sit for a day to dry out completely. If she didn't do this drying out routine, a pair would probably last 2 weeks.

[Jacqueline]

Rotation of pairs and drying out overnight is key. My dd just got promoted to her studio's highest level which means all of her classes (10 a week plus rehearsals) are on pointe (and that means she's going through shoes at record-breaking paces.) I do the "drying out" lecture on a routine basis and have supplied plenty of Uncle Ba-ba's sachets to that end!

[mylildancer]

Dd's shoes can last a little longer than 2 weeks some times more than 3 if she takes care to dry them out and rotate them. She uses Freed Wing Blocks for classes and Freed Classics for performances and then uses them for class. She uses spray shellac in them once she's got the boxes to where she wants them and does touch ups with jet glue.

[pj]

Some of my daughter's shoes have lasted 1 hour, and some have made it 10 full days. Right now, we are at about 1-2 pairs a week, and she sews them herself (mostly) now, so I'm happy. Although I'd be happier if her shoes would last longer; I'm sure my credit card company is happy with how often we have to pay for them. I have to add that shank tacks and jet glue have been worth the money we have spent for them -- shellac is no deal (too much work for too little extra dancing time).

[mmded]

My daughter uses pointe shoe shellac but it really only buys her one more wear. Where does one buy jet glue?

[pointe2perfection]

My dd is able to wear her shoes about 2 months before she moves on to the next. I had never heard about alternating 2 pairs to allow complete drying out. That sounds like a logical thing to do. My dd has a different problem in that she has a bit of trouble breaking her shoes in. She has to worry about getting a pair ready so that her feet look the best when she is performing. Boy, what we as parents and our dd's go through!

[Guest Clare]

My daughter is in full time training and does all her classes on pointe. She also keeps at least two pairs on the go at a time - not only to alternate to give them time to dry but also because she likes to have them at different stages of softness for different classes. She seems to average at a pair every week or so.

 

Clare