- Sprucing Pinks: If your ballet shoes are looking a little worn, try sprucing them up with pink calamine lotion. The pink color matches well and the lotion becomes powdery as it dries. Many ballet dancers use calamine lotion on their shoes before performances.
- Removing Marks: Scuff marks or other marks made by ink or lead can usually be removed with hair spray, eucalyptus oil, methylated spirits or tea-tree oil. Try applying a small amount with a soft rag.
- Scoring Soles: If your ballet shoes are too slippery, try scoring the soles with a pair of scissors. Score leather soles in a criss-cross pattern for best results.
- Preventing Frays: Ballet shoe ribbons are notorious for fraying. Prevent fraying by painting the ends of ribbons with clear nail polish or carefully burning the ends with a flame, creating a tight seal.
- Darning Pointes: If you wear satin pointe shoes, try darning the toes to make them last a lot longer. Apply several stitches with pink crochet cotton, a sturdier option than plain sewing thread.
Source: Mitchell, Missy. Ballet Pointe By Pointe. Rosen Publishing Group, 2004.
