Ballet shoe Ballet shoe A ballet shoe, or ballet slipper, is a lightweight shoe designed specifically for ballet dancing. It may be made from soft leather, canvas, or satin, and has flexible, thin soles. Traditionally, women wear pink shoes and men wear white or black shoes. Tan colored slippers—which are unobtrusive and thus give the appearance of dancing barefoot—are worn in modern ballets and sometimes modern dancing by both men and women. All dancers typically wear ballet slippers at the beginning of a ballet class, whereas female dancers may change into pointe shoes for centre work and performance. Ballet shoes must fit
Pointe shoe internal structural elements and lending an aesthetically pleasing look to the shoe. Most pointe shoes are covered with satin, but some are available with canvas exteriors. Pointe shoes are most often available in light pink colors and less commonly in black and white. When other colors are desired (e.g., to match a costume), pointe shoes may be dyed or, if available, ordered in custom colors. The "vamp" refers to the shoe's upper piece, measured from the platform to the drawstring; normally, longer toes call for a longer vamp. The "throat" is the edge of the vamp above the arch of