Pointe shoe Pointe shoe A pointe shoe is a type of shoe worn by ballet dancers when performing pointe work. Pointe shoes were conceived in response to the desire for dancers to appear weightless and sylph-like and have evolved to enable dancers to dance "en pointe" (on the tips of their toes) for extended periods of time. They are manufactured in a variety of colors, most commonly in shades of light pink. Women began to dance ballet in 1681, twenty years after King Louis XIV of France ordered the founding of the Académie Royale de Danse. At that time, the standard women's
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