pointe.

Size six. Bloch brand. Style: the Synergy shoe.

These were my first pointe shoes.

I have always had a fascination with being on my toes.

When I was child, I would constantly dance around the house, twirling on my toes in the kitchen, knocking over things I'm sure.

Running shoes didn't last very long because I was also spinning on my toes, during recess.

After years of dancing, one of the ballet masters at the studio I was training in told me I had graduated and was strong enough to start pointe training.

There are a few moments in life that you feel real elation. Maybe it's a wedding, kiss, graduation, birthday party...we all have one, or even two of these that we can really remember, and actually have those feelings come back for a moment.

This was the first one I can really remember. I floated home.

My mother and I went to the dance store and we tried on shoes for what felt like hours. My damn wide feet didn't fit anything. I constantly tried on pointe shoes and attempted the rises I had dreamed about forever, only to find myself rolling over my ankles because my toes didn't fit in the box of the shoe (the front part that props you up).

The only pair that fit where the yellow-y beige pair. Synergy. They were wide enough.

I won't lie. I was ticked that they weren't pink.

However, I became addicted to pointe. Even after moving on from my strict ballet school to more contemporary, modern and jazz training, I continued to train and play on my toes with my peers.

A close friend and I taught ourselves how to slide across the floor, almost like you were wearing socks, but on the pointes of our shoes. We fell a lot, but it was divine.

I stumbled upon this little video below and it encapsulates everything I've ever felt about those magic shoes.



There's a little ritual-like routine for one's pointe shoes. It's fascinating to me to see what each dancer likes. Personally, I would coat mine in superglue to make them last longer. I never wore supports, band aids, or tape. Just a toe cushion. I feel that's how the first ballerina's did it.

However, to each their complete own. This quote captures everything about those shoes perfectly:

"What would be more annoying

would be unable to dance because of the pain."

Sorry of my life. The freedom of those pirouettes and fouettes is unparalleled.

Years later, I've come to love my little beige shoes. They're part of my new ritual. They stand out. They're perfect. They protect my feet and allow me to be free when I dance.

Just a (dance) thought.