Get to the Pointe — ballerina

In this world of mass production, owning a pair of hand-made pointe shoes is an absolute privilege. It is a privilege that is earned through years of diligent training. But dancing in the wrong shoes can not only lea d to a lot of pain, it can lead to dangerous injuries. Just a few decades ago, there were only a few brands of pointe shoes to choose from, but now there are dozens of brands and hundreds of models to fit just about any dancer. There are also many different accessories to help prevent injuries and discomfort (but that's for...

For a dancer, visiting a pointe shoe factory is like visiting Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.Gorgeous shiny pointe shoes all lined up in a row… Is this heaven? Yes. Yes it is. Piece by piece, layer by layer, pointe shoes are constructed from slabs of leather, sheets of burlap and satin into these perfect pink beauties. I visited the Capezio factory in New Jersey last week, and you will not believe the amount of work and dedication it takes to make a single shoe. Here is the basic idea:1. Slabs of leather are stamped out to make the sole of the...