The number of pointe shoes a ballerina uses, depends a lot on whether the dancer is already a professional, or a student. A professional ballerina can use up a pair of pointe shoes in just one performance, while a student’s pointe shoes might last longer because they use them for shorter periods of time. The Pittsburg Ballet Theater for example, spends close to $100,000 on pointe shoes per year, and they confirm a professional ballerina can go through 100-120 pairs of pointe shoes in one season! These have to be replaced because the box becomes too soft to support the toes adequately or the shank loses its stiffness and the dance has less support.
But the pointe shoes themselves do not add up to the whole costs. Pointe shoes are secured to the foot with pinks ribbons and pink elastic. A dancer needs about 2.5 yards of ribbon to be enough for both pointe shoes. This ribbon is divided into four pieces, which are then tied from the sides of the shoe. The elastic is tied from the heel part of the point shoe, to provide a more secure and elasticized grip. These 2.5 yards of ribbon cost about $5.00, and the elastic about $3.00. Pointe shoes themselves will typically cost around $80. So professional ballerinas have to spend about $88 dollars for every pointe shoe they have to replace after every performance. If a dancer uses 100-120 pairs of shoes per season, that would add up to $8,800-$10,560! And not to mention how much they have to spend after countless rehearsals!
But the pointe shoes themselves do not add up to the whole costs. Pointe shoes are secured to the foot with pinks ribbons and pink elastic. A dancer needs about 2.5 yards of ribbon to be enough for both pointe shoes. This ribbon is divided into four pieces, which are then tied from the sides of the shoe. The elastic is tied from the heel part of the point shoe, to provide a more secure and elasticized grip. These 2.5 yards of ribbon cost about $5.00, and the elastic about $3.00. Pointe shoes themselves will typically cost around $80. So professional ballerinas have to spend about $88 dollars for every pointe shoe they have to replace after every performance. If a dancer uses 100-120 pairs of shoes per season, that would add up to $8,800-$10,560! And not to mention how much they have to spend after countless rehearsals!
Students are different because they use up pointe shoes at a slower rate. An average student will have to change their pointe shoes once every 3-4 weeks. This is about $88 a month spent on shoes, which would add up to $1,056 per year!! And what is the student needs multiple shoes? For example, for some dances the ballerinas might need to dye their pointe shoes a certain color, so they match with their costumes. BAM an extra $88. Or what if the students are getting ready for a big performance and they have to go to the studio for extra rehearsals? Extra rehearsals kill the dancer’s shoes. And even better, what if the student attends a six week summer intensive? The rigorous training during these courses bumps up the number to about one pair of shoes every two weeks. That is an extra $264! As a result, an individual student would spend about $1,056 per year on pointe shoes, and a professional dancer would spend between $8,800-$10,560 per season!