Ballet Advice

Today on Reddit someone posted a ballet pointe shoe fitting in r/Ballet. The dancer posted the video because she was concerned that the shoes given to her weren't a good fit. She said she went to a professional fitter, but she did not get to try on many options. She said she tried on 4 pairs, but the try-on for the 4th pair was rushed. The fitter gave her the pair in the video. She said her teachers also saw the shoes and approved them. But, my gosh! The shoes were horrendous! Pointe shoes are the ballet shoes that allow the dancer to dance on her toes. There's a solid block that wraps around the toes that enables the dancer to balance on her toes ("en pointe"). To dance en pointe safely, the dancer must have strong ankels and able to balance her weight evenly across the box of the shoes. This was not the case in the video. Her left foot sickled so she was standing on the corner of one shoe. The shoes were also too lose; there was a lot of space in the back. In pointe, the shoes must be a bit snug so that the dancer is well supported. Shoes that are too loose, are dangerous and unstable. Several people commented on the post stating that that the shoes are a terrible fit for her. Several also commented that the vamp, the front of the shoe was too long and would sink into the shoe, which is also dangerous. Some said that she should talk to her teacher, and with a weak ankle, she really should not dance in pointe shoes at this time. She needs to stregnthen that ankle. Many people like to give Reddit flack because of "toxic behavior" within communities. But some subreddits like r/Ballet are quite helpful. People in the community give helpful advice and do not shame others for where they are in their journey. There is a risk of misinformation. Some people may unintentionally give bad advice, but I think in this case, Reddit users came through and gave very sound advice. I am surprised a professional fitter gave the okay for her to buy those shoes. They were a terrible fit!