The (un)making of the pointe shoe (Video by Altin Kaftira)

[DanceLuva1231]

they make point shoes like their cars

[MrsSweetalexa]

i want to have the old one for decoraition for my room!!!

[227up]

What was with the half naked like playboy chick at 0:40 like someone masterbates

[maddyquinn98]

This video is amazing...

[2011GNA]

Cool!

[TheTouks28]

I was once a maker at freeds of London, i was the shield maker, it is hard making them shoe's especially when your making 40 pairs a day! I was making for the principal dancer Leanne Benjamin.

[OpenendsProductions]

prachtig.

[Mazzapan58]

Oh!! It's so sad to be a pointe shoe..

[my5sisters]

@Mazzapan58 why is it sad?? it's the dream of al girls that dance and loves ballet:)

[mackat888]

ug im never gonna get this right...

[mackat888]

Thumbs up for the bug on the pointe shoe at 0:52 ?

[mackat888]

Thumbs up for the bug on the pointe shoe at 0:59 ?

[bieberfanAGfan1998]

lokk at the side on 0:40 lol random pic of girl in bra and undies

[rochitremari]

ho my got! las puntas viejas tiradas ohh--¡¡¡¡¡¡¡the pointe

[XyourcutebabbyX]

i need to learn how to do that a 1:32

[lalazinhaballet]

uau!

[Bucklesluva]

lol 2:00 looks like my closet :P

[MissZumba100]

it's a shame so much hard work goes into making pointe shoes and the first thing you do when you buy them is smash them....:( lol

[dutchmuse]

Lol'd @ the 0:41 mark! guess you can't avoid random stuff sneaking in...

[aebbinge]

I love the fact that at the end, above the shoes the sing says "Verboden afval te plaatsen" which means don't put your waste here

[Tardis365]

I ummm have totally seen more dead shoes than that in one place before NOTE THE SARCASM

[mackat888]

I just want to roll around it the dead pointe shoes...

[NinjaTree6]

thats a lot of dead shoes lol

[bobby24love]

OMG! Great idea! I love that Yumiko was a part of it. Now... where do the used shoes go? Is there a "GREEN" way to dispose of them?

[warrosa1]

I can dead for one of them! Unfortunately, in my country there is not so much place that i can buy pointe shoe and it is too expensive. In the last shot... Ohh.. That is just... Life.

[88888Di88888]

ironic process, yet inevitable... :) amazing!

[sailorchibimoon1665]

@ 1:59 Wow! that's a whole lotta pointe shoes

[powellpicc1985]

Do all dancers cut the ends of the shoes off? Why put the fabric there, if so?

[seegensays]

@powellpicc1985 A lot of serious dancer's do; they sew on a fabric that is tougher than the original satin for better grip on sometimes slippery floors. Personally, it's not worth it for me; too much work. XD

[fan4antm]

@powellpicc1985 no haha almost no one does...that was her one personal decision;) its very rare to do that

[everythinggirl1000]

@powellpicc1985 not me

[RobotBallerina101]

What kind of Freed of London does Yukimo T. use?



[InfinityChallengeLuv]

lol what was that on 0:40 !?!

the random lady in underwear...

[2rose21]

@InfinityChallengeLuv keeps the workers motivated

[Cheerbabeforeverable]

@ArtsLoverAnne13x mm, your right that it FEELS like cardboard when its dead lol

[Cheerbabeforeverable]

@ArtsLoverAnne13x it seems that way, doesnt it? there are some other videos that go more indepth on the making of pointe shoes- its actually not ccardboard.

they explain what everything is, and why they use it :)

[Ammie39]

this shoe is going through hard life

[cops055]

Well, pointe shoes are quite expencive! I live in Brussels and my pointes shoes costed around 70 euros..

[contortionist104]

@cops055 Depending on the brand 70 euros is pretty normal...

[dancer8541]

1:30 how do you do that?

[KLOKLOKLO456]

I've gotten my pointe shoes so tweaked and perfected by my fitter I don't even think they're Bloch Aspirations anymore. Poor guy who made those shoes.

[Cheerbabeforeverable]

@KLOKLOKLO456 i loooove custom shoes! the only time i ever got them custom was when i was clara, i adored them! i bought them for the show, and then wore them to classes after that... after that i had to go back to regular pointe shoes :(

[balletfreak97]

holy crap.... AMAZING

[taquitasun]

1 person works at that factory. =)

[angel765438]

lets hope they get paid TONSSSS of money :D

[esswrig]

I would be so nervous if I worked at Freed. Making shoes that Marianela Nunez wears....!!!!!! :O

[oreopie090]

we should start recycling pointe shoes!!

[dancereclipseitalian]

@oreopie090 haha we should!

[trappedinside1]

I have never had so much respect till now for all of the wonderful & talented factory workers making my shoes! I knew what my shoes were made of, & that each was hand made and unique, but wow so much work! As dancers, we really do require all that goes into them, & what a shame that we often tear them apart to some extent like the dancer shown in this video! I never really understood the "art" of darning though, my box is not the first thing to fully die, therefore darning seems a waste of time?

[dancereclipseitalian]

Why did she take the satin off the tip

[pudgedb]

@dancereclipseitalian Because the satin is pulled so tightly over the shoe, it is quite slippery. Cutting the satin off the top can help improve traction.

[marym2011]

@dancereclipseitalian to make it less slippery.

[dancereclipseitalian]

@marym2011 oh sorry! duh ...thank you i am new to pointe shoes i got my first pair just over spring break!

[bruisedbyakiss]

are ALL pointe shoes hand made like that?? tedious work i must say..

[pudgedb]

@bruisedbyakiss No, Freed of London even has a few lines that are machine-made. However, Freed classics, the predominant shoe for the classical ballet world is a handmade shoe.

[94sealover]

1:15-1:30-why some dancers cut and  sew the point of their pointe shoes?

[pudgedb]

@94sealover it is called darning - helps break in the shoe in a certain way and provide traction while en pointe. it can push you over onto the correct part of the box while en pointe.

[94sealover]

@pudgedb Thanks a lot!i want to do this with my pointe shoes.

[bethslifebeforedeath]

loved this :)

[icecream211000]

I just got freed point shoes today!!! So excited

[BERdancerful]

i dont like freeds i like capizio and prema softs and bloch

[candybruh]

Im not a ballerina so im wondering why she rips the toe part off ? and sews ssomething on it ?

[XxSarahGabriellexX]

@candybruh Its to help break them in and making them more comfortable for her dancing style.

[champagnefiz101]

i wouldnt sew suede tip on my pointe shoes unless i needed extreme grip or for emergencies

[SBRJulia]

now you realise why we pay them so bloody expensive

[laurinhadance]

Qual a marca dessa sapatilha?

[94sealover]

@laurinhadance o nome desta marca é Freed´s

[vanica6]

When i see someone destroying their pointe shoes i die a little bit inside.even though it makes it easier to dance

[livismilesful]

the end is sad with all of thoes pointe shoes!! all of that work but i guess safety comes first.

[dancopointe21]

HAHA :40 the bckround is funny

[Cheerbabeforeverable]

its strange, they look so 'eeeeerm....' while being made... then when they leave the factory they're gorgeous!!!

then after meeting a wall, a needle, and a flame (not to mention dancing!!!!) they are thrown into a pile :)

[Mergirl97]

I love how she's looking at them like wow..... let me beat them against a wall!

[pharohsb]

i love watching how such beautiful and amazing shoes are made, but I want to cry when i see them thrown out in piles like the end. :'( pssshhh give them to me i'll hang them all around my room!!!!

[LaurenBalletStar]

wow! the whole process looks so complicated. But i still dont know what the actual box is made from. Can someone tell me? I know its not made from wood

[cheesinnn]

@LaurenBalletStar it's usually made from a paper mache...i think. i'm not totally certain though so don't quote me!

[pudgedb]

@LaurenBalletStar various types of a paper, fabric, and glue.

[miakabutterfly68]

do any of your girls wear "key" maker and what are their likes or dislikes about them?

[Mergirl97]

umm... pause it at 0:40... Lol

[BullardTALENTGirl]

Um did anyone else notice the magazine in te backround? Lol.

[scgalhjl]

wow! this is amazing and i really like the end!

[kawaiipapillon]

THUMBS UP IF U <3 FREED OF LONDON POINTE SHOES!!!! CUZ I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE THEM!!!!!

[ilovevolleyball2010]

WOW thats alot of pointe shoes!!!!

[PracticalLove07]

i would never cut off the front of my point show i think it looks horrible and that only one of the opptions to get grip on the front. Why tear apart the shoe when you can now buy non slip peices that glue onto the front and blend in to the sole of the shoe. :(

[kawaiipapillon]

@PracticalLove07 the reason why is so there is more friction but the thing about freed of london is the satin at the tip is glued down so taking off the satin takes off the glue so it more mushy

[turbotone64]

Ripping apart a pointe shoe like that to break it in is like killing a baby to me. That's how much I love my pointes. I don't think I could ever mutilate any of my future pointe shoes like that to break it in ;_; I don't have the heart to xP

[DjOggyDoggy95]

aaaaaaa i have one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :(((

[ChiaraTiddens]

so much work!

[Newyorkfoodie]

no wonder they cost so much!

[fldancer94]

That was the most amazing video ever. :D 

[BullardTALENTGirl]

lol why did she rip the satin off?

[emmsteemmastewart]

@BullardTALENTGirl It stops the satin tearing when dancing and the canvas underneath is less slippy that satin, quite a few people do that

[turbotone64]

@BullardTALENTGirl Otherwise it wears out faster so it's easier to take off the satin and keep them clean. Also, it's less slippery to dance on without satin.

[GwiazdkaNadia]

The last shot hurts... So many dead pointe shoes...

[everythinggirl1000]

i don't like the way that those people make the shoes, ugh..... and what the heck was that girl doing with her pointe shoes?? she was banging them on the wall and sewing them and hammering them?? she's ruining them easily, crazy girl

[MozartGirl1756]

@everythinggirl1000 she was breaking them in? Most professionals tend to do that.....and it's not like she doesn't have a shoe allowance through the company.

[ryohayashi]

@everythinggirl1000 well yea, shes breaking them in and darning them. its necessary to soften ur pointes after u get them

[ITANAGAR12345]

those shoe at the end are waste????

[biscuiteater63]

@ITANAGAR12345 Yea, they are probably dead. If you look at the top of the shoe (where the dancers dance on them) you can tell they are worn.

[ryohayashi]

@ITANAGAR12345 no they are used and dead

[Dragiss1]

@ITANAGAR12345

if they are..wow

You could really make some beautiful work of art out of those beautifully worn down pointes and still shiny satin.. :3

[mags102755]

LOL I used to drive over my pointe shoes with my car. hahahah

[ryohayashi]

@mags102755 did they get super soft?

[EvanescenceROCKSS]

thts sooooooooooo kl!!! hahahhahaha. im getting soft blocks in jan 2011. i've waited bout 8 yrs for them!!!!!! XD

[bradimckae]

you can see a porn magazine in the background on a part...

thats hilarious. hahaha.

[cocobabyballerina]

she took the fabric off to darn them...darning them makes them last longer as well as make them esier to balance on;)

[m4bg]

0:41 did you see notice what is on the magazine is in the back? lmao just sayin

[Theblondesambition]

pervs!

[m4bg]

@m4bg Sorry, that's not my comment. My sister must have been on my account earlier XD

[InuYashaDem0n]

1:29 y do they do that??

[tutus4life]

because as you wear them down, the satin comes off and starts to run up the shoe and looks bad. and it's also slippery. Darning them helps stop that before it happens

[CurlyLuvsPonies]

im too scared to do ballet in case i ruin my gorgeous feet :D lol

[MahddesonMAHYEM]

why did she sew her pointe shoes with yarn??

i understand all the other things that she did to them, that's just basic!

[kmdance14]

@MahddesonMAHYEM She was darning her shoes. I guess it reduces the slipperiness of the satin and replaced it with burlap or raw leather.

[dancinbabe99]

i had a russian dance teacher and he says on the tip you do tht so u dont slide on the floor and it makes em not slip

[twinkletoesrose]

omg ik wth and y did she take the platform fabric off? im so confused

[emmsteemmastewart]

@twinkletoesrose it helps to prevent you from slipping. canvas has a bit more grip than satin does!

[snpurple]

she was darning them

[SLYCoopaEatsChicken]

poor old shoes :( but that was really cool

[MegamikiraPal]

Loved it!!! Also Love Yumiko Takeshima!!!! Awesome dancewear line she has!!!!!

[zoed057]

Im guessing this is fast forward...?

[WhosThatWeirdy]

that was hilarious! My ballet teacher told us that big companies did that and that there were mountains of pointe shoes! I thought that was crazy but apparently not... (:

[dancinbabe99]

omg my 1st pointe shoes were freeds!i hated them!dont get freeds!I HAVE MERELLAS.

[l0ls0m3b0dy]

What does not work for you may work for someone else

[dancinbabe99]

okaaaaaaaayyyyy... i wudnt tryin 2 b offensive hun

[CollieKisses]

All the work they put into these shoes, just so we can darn the tips, cut the shanks, beat them against walls, step on them, slam them in doors and throw them in the back of the closet after 2 months of dancing in them.

[BrendaLi1]

@CollieKisses or as a pro, try after a day...or after a performance...I used 10 pairs a week at one point. :/

[pixie0shap0green]

that made me sad! they have all thoughs pointe shoes in that pile and i dont have any!

[uglypink9]

all the sad dead points :(

[xXbealyXx]

lol 0:40 background...

[LilMissCullen96]

exactly what i was thinking

[kino261988]

@xXbealyXx maybe someone glue that picture in there to inspire him....

[Nathalie2905]

@xXbealyXx Haha I saw that too!

[raccoonxeyesxx]

@xXbealyXx LOL it took me a while to notice what you were referring to. What the heck is THAT doing there in a pointe shoe factory?

[xjackybx]

great vid! loved it :) but all that work in making the shoe just so we can bang them in concrete and rip them apart and have them dead in a couple weeks...!?haha

[dancer5616]

i wana know how to remove the ribbon off the tip of the pointe shoe and how to secure it so it wont rip more...

[balletbuddie]

you have to burn it once it frays and then you can hem the ends

[XxXxStellinAxXxX]

use a bit transparent nail polish,,, it wont rip anymore

[LoveyBabe1213]

That was really cool!

[prettycori]

I'd like to see that in slow motion, pretty cool...

[xmeggggan]

What was it that the dancer was sewing on the toe part? I am curious...

[swanlakegirl]

I think it was just a thick thread, nothing else

[Hairbrushfantastic]

She was darning the tips so that after she removed the satin, the edges would not fray and pull the sating off the rest of the shoe.

[RockDancerina]

Wow, dus de dansers hebben een eigen doos in een stelling waar al hun eigen nieuw spitzen inzitten?

[lindaxheart]

Ja

echt een enorme kast vol spitzen, speciaal voor hun besteld enzo ;D

[hnbballerina]

I have always the end....

[sweetiecandykim]

I love this video, you can see really clearly each stage. How do they keep the satin so clean like at 0:50, when he has dirty hands and in a dirty factory. I never understand that, how we wear them on cleabn carpet and get them filthy.

What is the song called to?

thanks

[HetNationaleBallet]

Actually the masters are required to keep their hands clean and if you see carefully (00:50), the master is handling the show with his palm of the hand and not fingers (as his fingers had glue at that moment). However the factory looks dirty, it actually isn't. It is old, very old building but the masters keep their work places very clean. The music is from Paganini: Caprice in G minor Op 1 Nr 16