So you want to know how ballet shoes work

Let me preface this post by saying this is not a guide for anyone looking for the perfect ballet feet.  I am a semi retired ballet dancer, and I haven't taken a proper class in over 4 months.  As a result, my feet aren't nearly as strong as they used to be.  This is a post mainly for artists who want an explained reference of exactly where the ribbons go, how elastics are placed, and the general anatomy of ballet shoes.

Normally, tights that match the color of the shoes are worn, but for the sake of showing more contrast between the pink shoes and my pinkish skin, I wore black tights.  Sometimes shoes are colored for character roles onstage.  For example, in The Nutcracker, the Spanish dancers and Chinese dancers often wear black pointe shoes with their pink tights.

A note about tights:  Once dancers reach close to pointe shoe age, they switch to convertible tights.  They have a hole on the bottom which allows for easier access to the toes to adjust padding and bandages.

Flat Shoes

Forgive the holes.  This is an old pair.  On the left, improper elastic placement.  On the right, proper elastic placement.

Flat shoes are worn by both men and women, beginners and professionals.  Most flats are made of either leather or canvas.  Canvas shoes tend to be more often used because they're quieter, easier to take care of, and easier to dance in.  On the other hand, leather provides a better workout for the feet since they offer a little more resistance in pointing feet.

Showing split-sole shoes

Most dancers prefer split sole shoes.  This refers to the pattern of having a sole under the heel and under the balls of the feet with a gap in between.  This gives a more flattering line when pointing and allows the shoe to move with the foot better.  As a contrast, a picture of full soled ballet shoes can be found here.

Improper elastic placement on the left, corrected on the right.

In flat shoes, all the weight is balanced on the balls of the feet.  These shoes do not have the support to allow the dancer to stand on the tips of the toes.  The shoes themselves are rounded at the toe.  Flat shoes tend to not have much of a shape on their own.  Think of the shoe itself as a really thick sock made of canvas.

Most shoes come with one end of the elastic sewn, allowing the dancer to sew the other wherever he or she pleases.

Elastics are used to hold the shoe on the foot.  Commonly, elastics are sewn in a criss-cross manner.  The cross should be very close to where the foot meets the ankle.  This makes it easier for the heel of the shoe to stay on.  One side of the elastic is sewn closer to the heel, and the other is sewn no farther towards the toe than the instep.

Another method of sewing, which I personally use, is to sew the ends of the elastics together to make one giant loop.  From there, the loop is crossed at the ankle, then passed over the toe to rest at the instep.  Personally, I find this more flattering since I have a relatively high instep and flat shoes tend not to hug it super well.  This forces the shoe closer to the instep and shows the arch of the foot a bit better.  While this is not demonstrated in the picture above, it can be seen in the video.

Some very traditional schools, particularly in Russia, use ribbons on flat shoes similar to ribbons on pointe shoes instead of elastics.  It's not very common, but if you see pictures of ribbons on flat shoes and get a little confused, that's why.

Pointe Shoes

Properly tied pointe shoes.

Pointe shoes are probably the most misrepresented articles of clothing in the western world.

Shown on the right, a properly tied pointe shoe.  On the left, DEAR GOD PLEASE NO. 

Let's start with the drawstring.  Pointe shoes have a drawstring that helps the shoe fit the foot better.  The strings are never showing.  If too long, this poses a safety hazard.  In the smaller steps, a dancer could step on her strings similarly to how someone could step on loose shoestrings and trip themselves.  While it is up to the dancer exactly how she ties her drawstrings, they end up neatly tucked into the shoe.

Now the ribbons.  Most stereotypical ballerina drawings show the ribbons crisscrossing up the leg and tied in a big bow.  This just doesn't happen.  They are crossed at the ankle in the same placement elastics in flat shoes are, then wrapped around the ankle and tied.  The excess ribbon is neatly tucked in the wrapped ribbon, between the Achilles tendon and the bone that feels like a little ball.  Like the drawstring, loose ribbons are a safety hazard for the same reasons.  Ribbons are usually one inch in width.

Pointing to my instep.

Like elastics, ribbons are sewn on the shoe no further forward than the instep.  Dancers will tailor their shoes individually based on how they like the placement, but that is generally the rule.  Different dancers will cross their ribbons with either the outside ribbon on top, or the inside ribbon on top.  Outside meaning the outer edge of the foot, and inside meaning the inner edge of the foot with the instep.  Personally, I like the inside on top, but as long as you stay consistent, it doesn't really matter either way.

The overwhelming majority of dancers also sew elastic to their pointe shoes.  Some sew them in a criss-cross in the same manner flat shoes are sewn.  In this case, the elastics are always sewn to the shoe and never sewn in a loop and wrapped around.  In other cases, myself included, a single piece is sewn on in a small loop to be worn near the base of the ankle.  It is not shown in these pictures because I took them as a reference for a particular show where the dancers don't wear elastics.  I sew mine on very close together on the heel since I have trouble with my heel staying on.

The overwhelming majority of pointe shoes have single soles.

Generally, properly tied pointe shoes seem to show a single band of ribbon in the back.  This doesn't always happen in real life, but is close to what we go for.

Now for the shoe itself.

A Point-of-View shot of pointe shoes.  Elastics are shown.

The flat part of the shoe on which the dancer balances is called the platform.  It usually is slightly larger than one square inch, but the size itself differs between brands of pointe shoes.  The part on top from the platform to the drawstring is known as the vamp.  The vamp usually covers the length of the toes.  The brand I wear does have an especially long vamp since I need a little more support there.  The underside, which is where the sole is, is known as the shank.  A helpful diagram can be found here.

Showing the platform head-on.

Pointe shoes hold their shape much more rigidly than flat shoes.  This support, along with the strength of the dancer's feet and legs, is what allows the dancer to balance on the tips of her toes.  (Google "X ray of pointe shoes" for a fun time.)

First position on demi-pointe 

First position en pointe.

Not a lot of people seem to realize that it is possible to stay on the balls of the toes in pointe shoes.  It makes sense, but not a lot of people think about it.  It is actually the intermediate phase between being flat on your feet and fully en pointe.  It allows for "rolling" up or down, which is proper technique for getting on and off pointe, and also tends to be safer for the dancers.  Some steps do require dancers to hop straight up onto pointe, but rolling up is considered proper technique.

Other References

I think that's everything I have to offer at this point.  If you want to see dancers who have really good feet for references, search for Svetlana Zakharova, Sylvie Guillem, and Isabelle Ciaravola.  They all have beautiful feet and their shoes fit them perfectly.  From there, your search engine should give you similar searches for other professional dancers.  Most professional dancers have their pointe shoes tailor made to their feet, instead of trying on a lot and trying to find a style that works for them like most non-professional dancers like myself.  If you want to draw a good ballerina, they are much better models than I am.  I just wanted to show you how ballet shoes worked.

When it comes to proper technique, I am unfortunately way too out of shape to be of use.  However, Zach and Ryan both run quality ballet blog and are themselves, extremely talented dancers.  For references on proper ballet technique, poses, and inspiration for art, check out their blogs.  If Tumblr is not your thing, photographer Gene Schiavone on Facebook is a very talented photographer and posts beautiful images of dancers every day.  He shoots professional dancers as well as students, so he also has a very wide range of references that you can use.

Video I made of 360 degree view of different types of shoes in different positions.

If you have any other questions or want to see something in particular, feel free to ask me anything.  If I can't answer it, I will be glad to refer you to someone who can.