Ballet boots
By Anath
Have you ever heard about ballet boots?
Yes, I said ballet boots as opposed to ballet shoes. The concept is the same, to help you walk around on your tiptoes but the materials and purposes are different.
While ballet shoes are mainly used to perform classical dance, ballet boots are a type of footwear that merges the ultimate high heel with the pointy shoe. Depending on shoe size, the ballet boot’s heel can be around 18 cm. (7 inches) or more. Yes, you are right, that is extremely long and it means that the foot is fully extended in the shoe, held almost vertically supported by the toes.
Who would wear ballet boots?
Ok. You are right, ballet boots are not meant for prolonged standing or walking, they can be extremely painful to wear for people not used to this kind of footwear. At the very least, having worn my first pair not long ago, I can tell you that ballet boots are uncomfortable!
Wearing ballet boots successfully takes time and practice because of the extreme design, which is very hard on the feet and calves of inexperienced wearers.
Ballet boots are more a fashion accessory used for “playing games” in certain circles than practical footwear. Some people find ballet boots extremely sexy, while others just think it is a silly type of footwear. The point is that whether you love or hate them, ballet boots cannot go unnoticed, so if like me you love to be the centre of attention, a pair of ballet boots will get you noticed under any circumstance.
Nigella Lawson wearing Ballet boots
What are Ballet Boots made from?
Most ballet boots are made of latex and or leather. The boots can come in the form of ankle high, knee height and thigh high lengths. For comfort many designs lace up in the front, allowing a tight fit which makes it easier to wear them. However, for ease of wearing, most boots are also fitted with a zip.
Christina Aguilera in Ballet Boots
Ballet Boots on Amazon
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Basic Stretching Exercises
Ballet boots on ebay
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PLEASER Sexy 7" High Heels BALLET Locking Ankle Hi Black Boots
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NEW 7" Spike Heel Ballet Ankle Boots w/ Padlock
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Yoga to stretch your feet
Tips for Wearing ballet boots
If you want to wear Ballet boots, I found the following advice helpful:
- Stretch your feet and legs before and after wearing your ballet boots. If you wear them for prolonged periods, even if you are not standing up, your calves will cramp so it is important to do a few minutes of proper stretching before and after.
- Wear them with thick socks or cotton wool on the point to protect your toes. I noticed a big difference -not able to walk with stockings and able to walk if wearing thick sporty socks.
- When choosing ballet boots, go for a size bigger than your normal size to accommodate your feet better in its new stretched position.
- Keep your feet in good condition; pamper your feet with regular pedicures, massage and exercise. If you have long or ingrown nails, ballet boots are unbearable!
- When you first wear them make sure to have a seat near you –you’ll need it after a few seconds!
- Once you can stand up in your ballet boots make sure you can hold onto a table or a wall when you are practising your first steps.
- · Do not overdo it. A few minutes are enough to start with. You must build up your endurance steadily to avoid damaging your feet and calf muscles.
Celebrities wearing ballet boots
Red boots:
Leopard boots
My red ballet boots. Would you dare to wear them?
Comments
Pictures of the rest of the outfit would ban me from HubPages darling,and me to ,I would need to come back as a non-offensive user LOL But don't worry, there are plenty around if you really look for them ;-)
how about you send the picture to me ;-) the rest of the outfit
I never saw any ballet boots! Interesting article, and you have to stand as if you were a ballet dancer.
LOL very funny Aaron...
Now you've seen them Nan, yes you have to stand on the tip of your toes... not very comfortable...
damn.. those look like they would be excruciating to wear!!
They are CM, look how Nigella is holding onto the table!
Like the Marquis de Sade once said “It is always by way of pain one arrives at pleasure.”...
To answer your question....no I would not dare wear them. If I could squeeze my feet in and actually stand I doubt I would ever walk again. Great hub though. Thank you.
probably a wise choice Peter ;-)
“It is always by way of pain one arrives at pleasure.” ---For me, that would be the instant I took them off.
Never heard of them Anath. Thanks for this most interesting Hub!
Amazing! I don't want a pair but glad I know they exist! Wow! You are keeping me on my toes! Pun intended!
They look like they should be called 'the boots of poor judgement'. I mean the look cool and all, but something tells me that once you lace them up you're going to be regreting it every step of the way.... They look great on you though.
OK these are the best. I danced point for 14 years so I already have super strong toes with a solid arch. I have to get a pair. Did you? What color should I start with on my first pair?
Hadn't seen these before-so wicked hub girl
I am rating it up and sharing it everywhere
cheers girl
see you when my new site is up
xo
I can't imagine people who've never danced ballet surviving in these for long!
Two important tips - DO NOT stretch your feet and legs before wearing these. As I explain in my Hub on ballet stretching, when you stretch a muscle it's weak for about half an hour afterwards, so stretching will make standing in these shoes harder! Instead, do ankle circles and jogging on the spot to warm up.
Second, get along to a ballet store and buy yourself proper gel toe pads for pointe shoes. They'll work a heck of a lot better than a pair of thick socks.
You see Sally... even you can see the "pleasurable" side of wearing ballet boots :D
It's always something to talk about when you are putting your feet up with the girls Gma...
Thanks for the compliment Non-offensive
You look like a perfect candidate for wearing these boots Kim, you could give me a few lessons on the way girl!
thank you very much for the advice Marisa. As I mentioned above, I am new to these type of boots. I am going to check your hub on ballet stretching, get those gel toe pads and maybe link your hub to mine -if you don't mind- as further knowledgeable advice for those who dare wear the ballet boots.
You must have the strongest calf muscles on hubpages...these look painful but if anyone can wear these it is you (I mean that in a good way). I always enjoy your hubs...
LOL, I do have strong calves mtsi, maybe from years and years of wearing high heels :) but even then, these boots are painful after a while, I cannot wear them for more than a few minutes at a time if I have to walk on them. I can stand them a little longer if I only sit down or stand up without moving! practice I guess ;-)
Having toyed with ballet boots on and off myself for years and only just learned the secret - here is a tip from my GF, who used to be part of a group of girls who could (and frequently did) more or less live in ballet boots all weekend for clubbing and partying....mind you they were all custom made by a (now deceased) cobbler which helped!
The trick is to get a pair that do NOT put all the weight on your toes as unless you are lucky enough to weigh next to nothing then sooner or later you'll break them! Part of the weight should also be taken across the foot at its broadest point (usually the base of the toes) and some should also be taken on the highest point of the arch - which is why ballet boots nearly always lace up for best fit. The 'toe box' also shouldn't be so deep that it allows the toes to curl under (a problem I've had with the Chinese/American ones). Unfortunately, unless you are lucky enough to have 'standard sized' feet or can find somewhere that makes them to measure (and I'm not aware of anywhere in the world that currently does this) you are down to experimenting with socks, padding etc etc to get the weight distribution right. Once you do - and you have toned up the ankle and calf muscles enough to keep the ankle vertical - it is quite feasible to walk in them (though it's never likely to be comfortable!). And yes I quite agree with a previous post that talks about proper gel toe pads, they DO help.
One thing I have tried with some success for overly-large ballet boots is to get a self-mix fairly-high-density silicone rubber gel kit (commonly used for mould-making etc), mix enough up, pour it into the boot then put your foot in but do NOT lace up fully - don't have stockings or tights on as they will set into the gel, put a bit of vaseline on your foot - then let it set. The inside of the boot will then be an exact match for your foot, so when you lace up tight it squeezes your foot slightly and keeps teh weight distributed. NB - YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET THE GEL OUT OF THE BOOTS AGAIN IF YOU GET IT WRONG SO YOU RISK WRECKING THEM, YOU DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!
Hope that's helpful - enjoy ;-)
Great page! i really enjoyed reading this!
Thank you for all the tips Tina Tv Chesire. I am sure they will become very handy.
Just imagine how would it feel wearing them Dance bags...
Non-offensiveUser 23 months ago
Those Dominate! Now how about a pic of the rest of your outfit? I digging on that rug too! You always seem to find the craziest things, yet some of the coolest.