Shoe size customary markings, such as EU, UK and US sizes, can also be used. Because Mondopoint takes the foot width into account, it allows for better fitting than most other systems. A given shoe size shall fit every foot with indicated average measurements, and those differing by no more than a half-step of the corresponding interval grid. Mondopoint system is widely used in sports industry to size athletic shoes, ski/skate boots, and Pointe ballet shoes; it was also adopted as the primary shoe sizing system in USSR/Russia, GDR, China , Japan/Taiwan/South Korea, and as an optional system in United Kingdom, India
Pointe shoe soles were made of leather and the sides and toes were darned to help the shoes hold their shapes. Because the shoes of this period offered no support, dancers would pad their toes for comfort and rely on the strength of their feet and ankles for support. The next substantially different form of pointe shoe appeared in Italy in the late 19th century. Dancers like Pierina Legnani wore shoes with a sturdy, flat platform at the front end of the shoe, rather than the more sharply pointed toe of earlier models. These shoes also included a box—made of layers of