Ballet heels and boots are NOT ballet shoes, they are fetish footwear designed to force users to stand up.
These shoes are designated as “Fetish footwear“For a reason, if you are not yet able to put your foot in the pointe position, they can be extremely uncomfortable to use, even while sitting.
Don’t despair, if you want to wear ballet heels or have been instructed to do so, with practice and perseverance you can achieve what at first seems impossible.
Before even trying to walk in ballet heels, you should feel comfortable wearing them, so we need to analyze what it is that makes them so painful to wear.
In tip position
The natural position of your feet is parallel to the floor when standing, however the pointe position is ninety degrees from the floor, forcing the feet to align with the calf. This position is simply unnatural and unless you are extremely agile or an accomplished dancer, it can be very painful.
To train the mussels to accept prolonged periods in this position, strengthening exercises of the ankle and calf muscles should be performed. A simple exercise to strengthen the muscles you need is to stand on your toes with your heels dangling over the edge of a step.
Put all your weight on one leg and slowly lower your heel as far as you can, then get up with the ball of your foot as high as possible and hold for 10 seconds. Do this 10 times per foot and repeat 3 times for a total of 30 stretches in each session.
You will soon discover that you are able to climb higher and hold out longer.
Toe pressure
Once you’re comfortable just wearing ballet heels, you’re obviously going to try to stand in them – your toe hurts with that! Unfortunately, there is no exercise you can do to prepare for this, but you can try using lambswool pads to relieve some of the pressure on your toes.
Choosing the right ballet heels for you
TIGHT! – When choosing a shoe size, it is much better to go tight, this will prevent your foot from sliding forward and putting more pressure on your toes. For your first ballet heels I would recommend ballet boots instead of shoes, the extra support you will get from the boot will be of great help when trying to walk.
Learning to walk in ballet heels
Once you are comfortable with your pointed foot extended, you can try putting some weight on your feet. If you have never stood on tiptoe before, you should gradually introduce your weight. By far the best and simplest way to start walking in ballet heels is to use crutches.
It may not be glamorous, but by using crutches to reduce the weight of your feet and provide additional balance, you can get used to the feel of your heels at your own pace.
Practice your muscle exercises and balance with the help of crutches every day until you are comfortable standing on your own.
Walking in ballet heels
Once you are comfortable supporting your own weight, it is time to take a few steps, but first you need to understand what you are wearing.
The role of the stiletto is not to help you balance, but to force you to stand on your toes, so stand and walk on your toes, not your heels.
With the help of a handrail or wall for balance, take a few steps trying to position your foot from toe to heel, not heel to toe. It will feel totally unnatural and you will constantly think that you are going to fall forward, however you cannot lean back because the heel will prevent it, so use the wall for balance until your confidence builds.
By practicing daily for short periods, you build muscle, balance, and confidence, and you’ll soon be walking around in your ballet heels or boots without any help.