Added: 4 years ago
From: lisahowell2
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  • @ kanoblaster OMG OWOWOW how do u stand not having pads

  • For everyone who says there feet start burning.. I had the same problem. Personally I found it was because I had to much padding or my ouch pouches we too thick. I use to where big tips for my big toe but they just made it feel worse because there was too much. I found it better when i just used the pouches. It also might burn because you might not be able to feel the floor. Which again would mean you have to much padding. There also sell squishy tape which is padded but thin.Hope this helped (:

  • leos purple gels are really a lot more comfortable than ouch pouches. my feet get a bit numb. is that bad?

  • whats the song in the intro?

  • I have the "Ouch Pouch" ones .. my feet start burning sometimes .

    Is that suppost to happen ?

  • @hello64722 where are your feet burning?

  • I use Silicone

  • Oh and duct tape is way more cost effective and works just as well plus it comes in fancy colors and designs like plaid!

  • huh you really didn't train your dancers with toe pads!? that's stupid even pre-pointe shoes hurt like hell without toe pads

  • @cucumers789456 thats not stupid. it really just depends on the dancer, a ton of professionals dont use any padding-- just toe tape. Too much padding can cause dancers to not feel the floor, and is actually bad and encourages dancers to "sit" in their shoes since they are just resting in their padding. If the shoe fits as it actually should you really dont need a lot of padding and technically you really shoulndt have enough room in your shoe for how tight they should fit.

  • I use lambs wool (not the pouches) and tape each toe and have only gotten two blisters and that was when I got new shoes and had nothing on my feet. And everyone the lambs wool is amazing I am never going to use anything else and btw if you have convertible tights then you put the lambs wool on ur foot then the tight so it doesn't move around in ur shoe

  • At my ballet school your not allowed to wear toe pads and the teacher rips ot the padding that is already in the pointe shoe (when you buy it) and puts it in the bin.

    And if you put the toe pad on before class when she can't see you she can actually tell that you've got them on!

  • As the art progresses, more and more is required of our dancers every year. Should our equipment not also progress? Be the best.....dont be in pain. With todays technology its not necessary. I cant live without pointe comfort pads....you shouldn't either!! Stop buying into the idea that your blood and pain is a status symbol and somehow makes you a better dancer. (speaking to no-one in particular here)

  • There is no reason to try to minimize the padding you use in your toe shoes. I get the feeling some ballet dancers (esp the older teachers) think that you have to bleed to do pointe....Guys, get with the times! We now have visco elastic polymers (see pointe comfort pads by eurotard) The pointe show manufacturer Gaynor minden hadnt started made the shoes which were the largest innovation in pointe in the last century, probably longer.

  • @TheBalletbrit But you shouldn't have too much padding. You still need to feel the floor.

  • Hi, my name is Amber and i'm starting pointe work this summer (finally!) and I absolutely love your videos! They have been super helpful! My only question is, how do you tape toes? I was fitted for my pointe shoes and I don't require much padding, but I do have slight hammer toe in a couple of toes and my fitter told me I should tape them, but never showed me how. None of the girls in my class tape their toes so I was wondering if you had a video about hammer toes in particular? Thanks!! -Amber

  • cant use ouch pouches! too thick for me!

  • personally I use duct tape...

  • Hi Guys! We have now made an online store on The Ballet Blog so that you can buy all the bits and pieces that I show here! You can also get hard copies of all of the books. check it out by clicking on the "products" tab and then "online store"

  • @dancingrid

    True. But typically 1 1/2 or 2 yrs. :)

  • i only use tape on my big toe and pinky toe...my toes bleed a lot after class...but it doesnt hurt while i'm up. i HATE padding. i find it really uncomfortable and like i dont know...chunky? anyways, my teacher permits us to tape our toes or use the pure lamb's wool...not the lamb's wool pads. she says that the gel ones do some work for you.

  • @coleyoko94

    U cnt just go and buy pointe shoes!!!! U need at least 2 years of ballet training to be ready for pointe. Sum schools mite start earlier, but u can end up breaking ur ankle or having deformed toes/feet. And FYI, the cheapest pair of good quality shoes are $55.

  • are pointe shoes expensive? im not in ballet, but i really want to, im 16 but i probably will wait a few years until i actually take ballet classes because it sounds expensive...

  • Ouch pouches rock!!! :)

  • oh my :o i was just thinking how much i would love to do ballet again and then i was thinking that i am 140 pounds i was thinking NO Way! and than i saw some comments on this vid by @dancer95pa :) and @sweetz1491 well never mind that i'm going to get back into ballet no matter what!

  • my ballet teacher used to laugh at us when we were padding our feet. she studied dance in Russia and she said their teacher would check their feet after class and if they weren't bleeding, he said they didn't practice enough. So much about ballet lessons in Russia 1960.

  • DOES HAVEING LONG SKINNY TOES MATTER WHEN ON POINTE

  • @BarBi3Skittles I guess not, i have long and skinny toes, only problem that i have is that my second toe is longer then the others ;) but those jelly tips from bunheads should help with that problem :) 

  • @BarBi3Skittles Yes It Does, But As Long As Ur Big Toe Is The Largest Or Every Toe Is Pretty Much The Same Size, It Doesnt Matter

  • @BarBi3Skittles ya it makes it harder

  • quisiera saber como se llama el tema que se escucha al principio y al final. gracias

  • i just got my pointe shoes yesterday with my teacher and i sewed in the elastics and ribbons and i got free gellows thingy pouch to put over your toes and then slip on pointe shoes. i start class on tuesday and im soo excited! i have a feeling im gonna get alot of blisters and pain in my feet but IDC i love ballet, took me 2 long years and lots of practice to make it into pointe and i made it in!!!!!!!!!!! im excited oh and does anyone have advice and tips for padding and etc thanks :)

  • i think that weight shouldnt matter with dancing. but when you are going en pointe it really does. completely safety-thinking if you are over a certain weight it is bad for your bones to carry that weight. feet aren't supposed to carry any weight the way pointe does, even 90 pound people have issues. think about if you were 160 or over! your bones and muscles just cant support that

  • y would any1 want to do that/??????

    insane!!!!!! my feet are hurting just watching/

  • i have a problem. dance is soon and im trying out for pointe for the first time... but my mom cant find any lpaces that sell point shoes!! wheres a good place to buy the shoes! plz help.

  • @1PanaceaRose1 Just look online for nearby dancewear stores. But above all...DO NOT ORDER POINTES ONLINE!!! especially if it's your first pair! Always always ALWAYS try on the shoe before buying!

  • how about if we have lambs wool is that ok.

  • bom, eu sou brasileira, e não sei falar inglês. Danço ballet, mais não ainda nas pontas, (quem sabe nos próximos anos), mais me enteressei pelo video, e gostaria de entender o que ela diz sobre a sapatilha de ponta. alguem poderia fazer o favor de me dizer se tem legendado, ou se tem algum video parecido com esse em português? desde já agradeço :/

  • Dear Lisa Howell

    Please Help Me!I just got me pointe shoes today:)But i think they were fitted to small D: They lady gave me the shoes and i told her i wanted a larger size.So she gets me the larger pointe shoes size.We i went up,there was alot of excess at the end.So she told me the smaller size was as good as it was going to get.So i got those shoes(Grishko Elites) and when i walk in them my toes are squished and it hurts..ALOT.HELP

  • i use ouch pouches and the tips of my toes hurt soo badly only after a few minutes of simple rises. my feet are strong enough, but my toes just wont cooperate. if u can offer any help at all, please respond! im desperate!

  • @MUSICisLIFE1429 I use the ouch pouch as well, and my toes hurt!

  • @ilovejungsoo some of my friends told me to try gel padding, but i think i just have the wrong shoes! i really dont know what im going to do :/

  • @MUSICisLIFE1429 the spongy ones are better!! all my friends put the gel ones with cotton or tissues so it wont hurt but i got the spongy ones and they are soo gooood!! and what kind are ur shoes?

  • @TheMileycyruscam ive never heard of the spongy ones before. whats the brand name called? at this point, im just trying everything. i have a pair of block rehearsals and a pair of gaynor mindens

  • @MUSICisLIFE1429 My big toe is a good bit longer than my other toes and gets all my weight, I have found putting bunheads "The big tip" on my big toes along with the ouch pouches, I can still feel the floor and the jell in the big tip helps my toes not hurt, it even helped when i had to dance a performance on pointe 3 days after I had gotten ingrown toenail surgury, so for me, "the big tip" is a life saver

  • muitto interessante o video mas naoum intendi nado do q essa mulherzinha disse

  • thank you soo much! i will try that

  • they talked me into buying a big bulky ouch pouch and it makes my shoes tighter and when i take them off my toes feel like they have been scrunched does this mean thats too much padding or my shoes are too tight. i just started pre-pointe and im no professional and dont have the strength yet either,,anyways i always have serious pain on my big toe left foot ///any suggestions? and is it bad to break the shoe in when ur not strong enough yet? doesnt it help protect u when they are stiffer? thanx

  • I hate using padding because it takes up so much space in my shoes and leaves me with really nasty feet that are really sweaty.. What should I do in order to use something lighter but still there?

  • @danceislivable I use lamb's wool. I love it because it protects your toes, but it's thin enough that you still feel you have control of the shoe and you can feel the floor. Plus, it's absorbant! No stinky feet! :D

  • Hey Lisa! i've been on pointe for about 4 years now and my studio is doing swan lake (so its a lottttt of work, more than the usual) Part of my big toe nail on the outer side started to die and actually came off (but the other side is still alive) that half has started to grow in, but is there anything i can do to keep it from growing in at a weird angle or getting worse until it grows back completely? special ways of padding? is this common for pointe dancers? how can i prevent it ?

    Thanks!!

  • @ItsJustJasmine

    Yes. You can stop wearing point shoes! How badly have they brainwashed you to put up with this hideous, injury?

  • @HConstantine oops i thumbs up-ed... meant to thumbs down..

    are you serious? it's hard work, if you work hard at anything there'll be physical problems, same as runners getting shin splints or swimmers getting ear infections.. so just leave us dancers alone

  • has which age can they make of the classical dance

  • i use the ouch pouch with lambs wool actually in my shoe...and then the pad...i find it works the best for me...but then again ive only been dancing on pointe for 5 months

  • @blaqueliquorish

    Yeah, she said that it spoilt the lines of your feet. One girl was using far too much padding and so wasn't able to point her foot completely and didn't get far enough over, but used properly it's awesome! We used to have padding in our shoes and then if our teacher checked we'd stuff it down our leotards till she'd gone again!

  • in the beginging of the video what is the song called?

  • What nisuc is at the begining cuz im using it for my dacnce show and i dont know what its called can someone help??

  • i put alot of soft padding in my shoe so when i go on pointei dont fell to much pain.

  • those wrapping things would get really uncomfortable,,,

  • @angelbaby233 They aren't comfortable anyway so I think you would still have to use padidng, tape, cotton etc.

  • i dont use gel because then you cant go back my freed ouch pouches are like paper now but im not changing them

  • I'm not allowed to wear ANYTHING in pointe class. So not fair. My feet are like derranged from wearing nothing in my shoes =(

  • @uworonuk

    My teacher was just like that - she once threw someone's lambs wool out of the window once she'd checked the whole class' shoes!

  • so you can go without padding if it feels confortable to you??

  • i dont use anything except for tape

  • I am going to be starting pointe soon and I need to figure out padding, but I have extra long second toes, what do you guys recomend?

  • toe pads and toe spacers, that is what i do :) and it works greeat!

  • Thank you, I was just trying to see if i needed to do anything special because of my extra long toe, I have been asking around and that seems to be the thing everyone else is saying

  • good, I'm lad that I could help :)

  • @pennutbutter901656

    me too!

  • where can I get toe spacers? I'm already starting to get bunions :/

  • Check out Lisa's video on bunion taping - it looks excessive but it helps to correct the bunion rather than just padding it like toe spacers do :)

  • I get my pointe shoes from Bloch and you can get pretty much any type of ouch pouch from there i think, that's where i get all my padding. i prefer the fleece but i have the gel ones too and i got them both from bloch when i got my first shoes.

  • where can you find the ouch pouch and the other padding for the pointe shoes ?

  • padding isnt the same as toe pads right?

  • I began with lambs wool since that was all that was around when I began en pointe. Then, I started used Bunheads gel toe pads when they came out and I suggest them to my students as well. Lambs wool is awful, it moves around in your shoes and does not work!

  • As for shoes, I started with Capezio then went to Bloch and finally ended with my fabulous Grishko's which I LOOOOOOVE!

  • @MrsBallet777 hello my name is nirvana,and im just starting on pointe for my very first time,which pointe shoe is the best for starters?

  • i have Bloch Aspiration and i use gel toe pads..

  • i dont use anything in my pointe shoes....

  • :L I dont know why you have 3 bad ratings :/ I dont use anything either, thats because pointe doesent hurt me as much as my friends so my teacher said I didnt have to get toe pads. I have some anyway, just incase I do get a blister or something :P

  • exactly! it doesnt hurt me! and its not like i have gaynor mindens or anything , it just doesnt hurt but i do have some incase it does. jeeze people these days ...

  • :L What pointe's do you have? I have bloch's and they fit really snug XD

  • @RoseHellings yea i have blochs too :P well i just got them. when i was writing those comments i had sansha lyricas' ... bleh...:| but yea the blochs do fit snug :P

  • @kokolafiki :D

  • i get blisters on my little toes because they are weirdly shaped so i just use cloth band aids

  • i was wondering what padding is advisable jelly toepad or foam toepad

    pls answer my question

  • either one is perfect!!!

  • Also if you want super cushion for you toes you can make a toe pad out of an unused bras. I know it sounds weird, but come on! It works! xD

  • hahaha woow my friend used to do that and each week she'd alternate it like shed have one, one week and itd say PINK on it and then the next time it would say AERIE on it. (X i was dying.

  • @dachshundlove36

    ya it does i've tried it

  • @dachshundlove36

    haha really? I might try :)

  • @dachshundlove36 really? how?

  • i like this video thankss :)

  • does any one know the best pointe shoes for a begginer i am from the uk where can i purchase these?

  • pointe shoes are different for everyone. It you have a more narrow foot, I reccomend something from the russian pointe brand. The boxes are also fairly wide. Block is for people with wider feet, but the box is a bit more narrow. Almost any place that sells dance shoes will sell these brands. go to your teacher for more advice. Also, for padding, wool helps you feel the floor a bit more so i reccomend sheep's wool padding for beginners. i still use wool for mine.

  • @xxlilstarxx92

    any kind of pointe shoes really it depends on you and the foot and for the toe padding find the closest dance shop and you can buy them there or buy the toe padding online but never buy pointe shoes online

  • i had a history teacher when i was in 7th grade who did ballet her whole life,

    and she would talk about how when she started pointe her teacher would check all their shoes and make sure they did not have any padding in them, and if someone did try to use them they would get punished,

    =[

  • thats harsh

  • one of our teachers does shoe checks to make sure we only use lambs woool

  • i'm allergic to wool.

    i think the right padding depends on the person =/ i use those silicone ones.

  • now i have gel padding but they have like these bubbles in them and they pop, is that normal?

  • i use lamb's wool pads with gel tips.i like them so much more than ouch pouches!

  • ouch pouches provide no padding! i use the ones where they are like gel on one side, and fabric on the other, they are so comfy!

  • I use rubber padding, its cheaper and it's comfortable for my feet, I've never tried gel pads... :S

  • ronaldo!

  • i want to dance ballet but i know im overweight any ideas? 12 weight: 189 Height: 5"4

  • body type doesn't matter if you love dancing go ahead and dance:) besides after you start dancing,

    your body will change and you'll become physically healthier if you work hard.

    Good Luck :D

  • @sweetz1491 i do't know what u mean

  • i agree weight doesn't matter if you love to dance go ahead! i used to be a little over weight and i practiced and worked hard and lost the extra weight :)

  • i don't mean to be offensive but weight does matter if you're en pointe. if your legs can't support the weight, you can get hurt. however, if you start on demi pointe, you can lose the weight and build strength. just have fun ;D

  • My friend graduated with a 200 pound ballerina, she did a solo in pointe. I couldn't believe it but it was amazing, as long as your feet are strong you can do it!

  • @dancer95pa

    i agree with both of you look at my vids and that sets a good example of it

  • there is some chubby girls who take pointe where i do but from what i know they are nice but they are not bad at pointe how much do you weigh

  • I used to have a girl in my pointe class who was overweight she graduated now but she was the best in my class. As long as you have strong enough feet, it shouldn't be too bad

  • Yeah :) If you have the right shoe, and you are strong enough to support yourself on pointe, go for it. Just make sure your teacher says you're ready for it first and all. I'm 15, about 5'3" and I weigh 137 and I've been doing pointe for a year. I'm doing fine because my legs are very very strong. Although I do wish I looked more like a ballerina. I'm dieting a lot this summer :P

  • Comment removed

  • thanks alot....

  • oh gosh. I feel terrible now. I'm sorry. Sometimes being mean isnt fun.

  • im not shure if ur being sarcastic or not but if ur not it's okay i forgive u ^-^ and if u are being sarcastic i say that sarcasism is the lowest form of wit

  • No. I am not being sarcastic. I was really sorry.

  • then i forgive u ^-^

  • i do a dance to the song in the beggining...i have ouch pouches

  • I use the Gel toe pads! they work great! they have some for Beginners intermediate and advanced!! My toes never come out sore!

  • I heard ballerinas had ugly feet but that is obviously not true. Look at how nice this young lady's toes are nice, long and proportionate.

  • Some do wreck their feet from improper fitted shoes and when their body is not ready.

  • believe me, you *do not* want to see my feet... i can barely wear flip-flops any more... but i don't wear padding for pointe, so that might be part of the problem...

  • ahh. That is unfortunate.

  • why do you think they make padding

  • i do several types of dance. and i dance professionally.....it completly ruined my feet and toess. But if you have a pasion..it is worth it

  • ouch pouches!

  • I duct tape my toes. This prevents friction and blisters!!

  • Hmm, I wear tights, but then, I just wrap, like stocking socks o__o";; It works. Doesn't hurt when you go on point :)

  • I use lambs wool too. I usually put a little more wool under my big toe, and then I tape my baby and first toes.

  • I don't use any padding :)

  • becarefull cause that makes it easier for damage :)

  • Yes, but you have better control. And my teacher doesnt allow it

  • well after a while teacher tell you to take out your protection to strethen your feet

  • what type of pointes are those ?

  • What are those things that go on your toes called?

  • i think its "jelly toes" or something like that

  • Jelly tips

  • ouch pouches

  • should you wear tights with your pointe shoes or can you go bare foot

  • it doesn't matter

  • i prefer with tights because to me, the pointe shoe feels more comfortable but that's just me. it really doesn't matter.

  • thanks! =)

  • wear tights

  • em inglÊs é fogo

  • Is that your daughter, or a helper.

  • if you have gel pads and there's space between your toes and the pad, stuff it with lambs wool

  • y do u hav 2 break in ballet shoes?

  • because then your shoes look ugly on your feet.

  • Exactly I just broke them in took me three days...because I rarely took them off. LOL I even wore them and did exersises at the dinner table! My mom laughed when I came in the room!

  • love her feet

  • haha, but they dont look like a ballerinas feet... much more 'perfect'

  • not all dancers feet look like theyve been through a blender!

  • Thank-you. Yes it can be annoying, to have a blister. Some studio's don't allow anything, so you can feel the floor. That is very painful. I like Ouch Pouche's. They really help a lot.

  • I have just started doing pointe and these tips really helped thanks!!!

  • u guys are such a help thankyou because my studio just tells you to wear a gel pad and my feet still hurt so i will try that<3

  • Ive done ballet for two years, about 3 years ago. I wanted to start again and i was wondering how soon i could start using the pointe shoe instead of the normal ballet slipper. thanks!

  • PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do a video on raising arches or stretching feet

  • good video im glad someone finally helped!!

  • thank you! Have a God Blessed Day!

  • i wear big tips, toespacers and skinny dips. Skinney dips are a thin gel padding. I LOVE IT! you cant tell your wearing them. Toespacers are so you wont get bunions. and big tips help you balacnce! THEY ARE AMAZING!

  • for one year i did it with out any padding

    i got on alot better after getting ouch pouches

  • Priceless advice.

  • Very informative video that is great for students wanting to know more about the different kinds of padding they can use.  Now that I'm in my mid 30's, my feet love the gel pads.

  • ye i use ouch pads too