Thursday 24 December 2015

A Must Know Trick | How To Keep Your Pointe Shoe Ribbons Lasting

 A Must Know Trick | How To Keep Your Point Shoe Ribbons Lasting

As you continue to use your pointe shoes,
the ribbons eventually may start to fray slightly but
the sealed end will stay in place, even if it has cracked.
These point shoes are some of my older ones which
are extremely worn down and so no longer used and have
only just started presenting frayed ribbons near the end of
their lifetime.
Hello! Hope all is well. Today I am going to share a quick simple Ballet trick to make your Pointe shoe Ribbons last. If you struggle to keep your Pointe shoe ribbons looking neat, this trick is a great way to do that. This post can be for beginners as some people may know this trick, others may have figured it out for themselves, but I thought why not share it for those just learning because this trick works. Share it with someone else to help them if needed.

Ribbons once cut to be placed onto a Pointe shoe can become 'tatty'. They eventually start to frey through wear and tear and this can result in ugly, messy and non-existent ribbons. People in my old Ballet class had this exact problem, and many had to replace the ribbons with new ones. Once person even had their ribbons attached by a few small threads because they had frayed so much.
The more they frey, the more the ribbon starts to shorten in length, eventually working it's way to where it is sown on the Pointe shoe. Once this happens, they can snap and break off the shoe. Not good if you're on stage or practicing multiple pirouettes or leaps in class.
Image of my Grisko Triumph's brand new and with
newly sewn ribbons.

Once you have sewn your ribbons correctly onto your Pointe shoe, follow the instructions below.

You will need:

  • Lighter. Ask for permission or help if needed to stay safe as some Pointe beginners can be under 10 years of age x
  • If you prefer a candle, be sure it has access to the flame.
  • Plate to place underneath the ribbons when holding them or underneath candle.
  • Your ribbons.
Steps:
Frayed ribbon
  1. Be sure you have all items needed.
  2. Take candle, place on a plate and light/ take the lighter and make a flame. Ask for permission or help if needed to stay safe if you or the person who the shoe belongs to is young. It's a good idea to have someone hold the shoe whilst you hold the ribbon over the flame to stop your shoe from getting in the way. 
  3. With your free hand, hold the ribbon and face the end which is or may frey away from you. This end will be placed above the heat of the flame. 
  4. Ribbon with melted fabric
    making a plastic seal shown by a curve in
    the ribbon above
  5. Being careful not to burn yourself, hover the frayed end of the ribbon a few centimetres above the flame. As you do this you will see loose bits of the ribbon curl and ravel back to the end which they came from. Remove from over the flame and check to make sure all the end of the ribbon is sealed with the melted ribbon. Be sure not to burn the end of the ribbon. This has created a seal on the end of the ribbon ensuring nothing can break away from the cut end. The reason why it melts is because ribbons are made from Nylon, a fabric used in fashion made out of plastic.  



There you go, a simple trick to keep the ends of your ribbons that you tie neat and tidy. I have had the Grisko Triumph shoes for over a year and only now have the ribbons frayed due to months and months of wear and tear.


Hope this was useful and easy for you to learn. Happy dancing! 

Yours truly,
Caris

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