How To Care For Your Ballet Shoes

Every parent knows the frustration that goes along with kids and their never-ending growing feet. If you’re a dance mom, it’s likely that you feel as if you’re always buying new dance shoes.  In addition to growing feet, ballet shoes frequently suffer the wear and tear of dancing and can quickly become covered with blemishes and scuffs.

Whether your ballet shoes are leather or canvas, by following the different methods of caring for your ballet shoes listed below, it is possible to make ballet shoes last longer and look better.

Leather Slippers

• After class, place the slippers in a warm, dry location to completely dry the moisture left from sweat.
• Spot clean the slippers regularly. Using a soft cloth, wipe away scuffs and marks as they appear with warm water and liquid dish soap. Dry completely with a dry cloth.
• Periodically treat your slippers with a leather cleaner and conditioner. Spray on the cleaner and buff dry with a cloth.
• Sprinkle baking soda inside the shoes if they develop an odor. Leave the baking soda on for 24 hours and then shake the shoes out.

Canvas Slippers

• After class, place the slippers in a warm, dry location to completely dry the moisture left from sweat.
• Sprinkle baking soda inside the shoes if they develop an odor. Leave the baking soda on for 24 hours, and shake the shoes out to remove the baking soda.
• Wash canvas slippers periodically by placing them in a lingerie washing bag and putting them in the washing machine on cold. Use a gentle cycle and a mild laundry detergent. Place them in a warm, dry location (out of direct sunlight) to dry. After they have dried for a while, but are still slightly damp, put the slippers on to finish drying so they will re-conform to the shape of the foot.

Whether your shoes are canvas or leather, in order to lengthen their life, it’s important that your child only wear ballet shoes for dance. Try to avoid wearing them to and from dance class as ballet shoes are not designed to be worn in the street. While it may be frustrating, try to avoid buying ballet shoes that are too big. Ballet shoes are designed to fit snugly. However, if your child’s shoes are getting a bit tight before recitals and you want to avoid buying a new pair, try stretching the leather by gently placing a wooden spoon inside of the toe and gently stretching the leather fabric. As well, by loosening or removing the drawstrings, you may be able to allow more space in the shoe and buy a few more months of wear. Lastly, if you don’t want the extra expense of brand new ballet shoes every season, second-hand shoes are always a hit!