Pointe shoe unfit to wear in situations other than informal practice or rehearsal. Under moderate usage, a pair of pointe shoes will typically last through ten to twenty hours of wear. For dance students, this often translates into weeks or months of serviceable use from a pair of pointe shoes. Professional dancers typically wear out pointe shoes much more quickly; a new pair may wear out in a single performance. As a result, most professional ballet companies provide shoe allowances for their dancers to defray the cost of frequent shoe replacement. The lifetime of a pointe shoe depends on many factors, including:
Cleat (shoe) Cleat (shoe) Cleats or studs are protrusions on the sole of a shoe, or on an external attachment to a shoe, that provide additional traction on a soft or slippery surface. They can be conical or blade-like in shape, and made of plastic, rubber or metal. The type worn depends on the environment of play, whether it be grass, ice, artificial turf, or other grounds. In American English the term cleats is used synecdochically to refer to shoes featuring such protrusions. Similarly, in British English the term 'studs' can be used to refer to 'football boots' or 'rugby boots' which