Going through shoes like water.

JeHanne started this discussion · 9/5/2011

A topic near and dear to most pole dancer's hearts... SHOES! I have gotten really frustrated with going through a pair of shoes in a few months. Was wondering if others have this experience? I wear a 8.5 in most shoes but in dance heels have been buying 9. Mostly Pleaser but a few Ellie's and Tabu's. I prefer the shoes that have an ankle strap on them. My problem... The top part of the shoe stretches out to the point that it is not safe to wear them anymore. My foot slides all over the place and then I get a good half inch of heel space because my entire foot slides forward... grrr. I ordered my first 8 today... I have read a lot of dancers size down just due to the stretch and to allow a very secure fit. Anyone in between sizes that sizes down instead of up? Anyones annihilate their shoes quickly? 🙁

22 replies

chemgoddess1 · 9/6/2011
I wear a 9.5 but typically will buy a 9 unless it is boots. I have also used the little pads that go at the ball of your feet when they start tio get stretched out. I bought some at a dance store that have just a little padding and have a sticky pad. I have not had a lot of luck with the gel ones that just sit in the shoe as I can never get them to sit just right.
ORGANIC ANGEL · 9/6/2011
I can't downsize. I tried, but it hurts. Do you try the heel where it isn't clear, so it won't stretch? What about some of the bordello styles? They have some really cute glittery ones that don't comprimise you coming down too much(5-6 in). Good luck!
JeHanne · 9/6/2011
Thanks chemgoddess1, My downsized Pleasers arrive Thursday. I am the same as you, boots are good at 9 (sized up) and I do not stretch and slide out of those. I've tried different pads that are supposed to prevent the front slide... I end up disposing of the shoes because they become unsafe. This is the first pair I have sized down on... hope it works out. I mean the shoes are good, few scuffs here or there but intact otherwise. Hi Roamy, thanks for sharing your experience. I am not sure if it will work for me either. They have some very pretty shoes in the Bordello collection! I like 6.5 inches and up so they are shorter than what I am comfortable in. Since they are closed toe I bet they wouldn't stretch out. I do not know what the shoe anatomy is called but it is the band of plastic close to the toes on the top of the foot that stretches out. Then when doing floor work my entire foot will fall out... or they move way too much to trust for spins. Ugh!
JenLFG · 9/6/2011
i go thru about a pair every 3 months due to the ankle straps breaking off. i have started buying them 3 pairs at a time so i can save on shipping :)
MelanieDA · 9/7/2011
Dancer shoes are too darn expensive to be throwing them away every few months (that said, for as expensive as they are, they need to be made much better than they are, but that's a different rant entirely). I've become a master at fixing shoes that are too loose, sewing on broken straps, etc. because I generally refuse to buy new ones when the old ones are still fairly new. I consider it my triumph over the poorly-made dancer shoe, haha. I'm a big fan of Foot Petals: http://www.footpetals.com/ ; or similar devices made of foam that have enough thickness to take up a good amount of space in the shoe (I'm not a fan of the plastic cushions that don't adhere to the shoe, because they get sweaty and move around). Sometimes I'll layer them on top of each other, either to compensate for my unusually skinny foot or when the shoe is badly stretched. Generally I'll put in a ball-of-foot cushion and a full insole on top of that. If you want to be real fancy, you can make custom insoles out of crafty foam and glue it inside, and cover that with crafty suede to mimic the original feel of the shoe. I've had excellent luck doing that, myself.
Layla Duvay · 9/7/2011
That bit that goes over the top of the foot is the vamp (SO appropriate!). I've found that wearing FootUndeez in stretched-out shoes can help. You can go for a neutral colour that matches your skin tone, or pair them with a fab colour and it looks like a whole new shoe! A number of the instructors at my studio do this and it works really well!
JeHanne · 9/7/2011
Scandalicious... I hear ya! Good idea to combine and save on shipping. I have seen some dancers tie their shoes on using cloth or 'heelstraps' when their straps break. MelanieDA, you are so right re them being too pricy to throw away. I really like the fancier ones but stopped buying them since they don't last on me. No doubt re them needing to be more durable... I mean come manufacturers.... we want some value for our money! Thanks for all the great suggestions... I will try stacking insoles to take up the space and see how that works out. Layla, thanks for sharing the mystery of the shoe anatomy. The Vamp! I have a pair of foot undeez... I can try that too. Thanks for all these great suggestions! I have a lot of things to try as my next pair stretches out! My sized down pair arrives tomorrow. I bought it from Endless.com with no cost for return shipping just in case it falls into the "not a snowball's chance in hell" of getting that over yoru foot category. LOL!
solsticedark · 9/7/2011
Mine go though a ton of abuse and I have to replace them every 3-4 months. Repairs help make them last longer (electrical tape and super glue are my best friends for repairs.) So try repairing them, clean them every other week with windex and a rag to help keep them smelling nice, and it also cleans off any sweat/residue on the tops of the heels so the grippines stays. I also use black permanent marker to fill in any nicks and dings they get so they stay looking good. I also paint in a line of super glue along all the seams of the heels when I first get them in. The caps can be glued back in as well. I have been known to make a single pair last 6+ months when I have had to doing all this. You cant do much about the streaching, but you can poke new holes in the straps to make the fit a bit tighter. But also I would make sure that you are not putting them on too tight. I have broken more straps that way then anything else. But in the end they just are not built to withstand the abuse we put them through.
JeHanne · 9/7/2011
Thanks Solsticedark for all the great tips! I especially like the windex trick to keep them fresh. Stretching is my biggest issue but got some good tips on things to try. 6+ months?!? Wow! You are right... they are just not engineered to tolerate what we do to them. 😕
Jenn · 9/7/2011
One of my pole friends (and a member here, PoleDancingDiva) suggested an old modeling trick to help with over stretched shoes... I haven't tried it yet, but it sounded promising. Take some rubbing alcohol and rub it on the inside of the lining that goes over the top of your foot, then take a hair dryer to it. Supposedly that causes the plastic to tighten. Idk, if it will work in your situation but it can't hurt.
JeHanne · 9/7/2011
Oooh Thank you Jenn for sharing! I will try it. Anything we can do to extend the life of our shoes is worth trying! Thank you! I know all these great suggestions will help all of us that have experienced a shoe wearing out before it is time. 🥂
MelanieDA · 9/8/2011
Almost forgot about Foot Undeez! Not only do they keep your foot from sliding forward, but they relieve that 3am-on-my-fourth-night-in-a-row ball of foot pain. If you have a Walgreens near you, they sell a brand called ToeKinis. These little babies have saved me and my coworkers' feet many a time. http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/profoot-toe-kini-ball-of-foot-protectors/ID=prod6056558-product
JeHanne · 9/8/2011
Thank you MelanieDA for the Walgreens ToeKini!!! Will be picking some up... Awesome!
Mary Ellyn · 9/8/2011
Never saw Toekinis at Walgreens...I need to look for these. I try to keep foot undeez in stock but they are twice as expensive and if they can just go to Walgreens that's a lot easier! Thanks!
JeHanne · 9/8/2011
I'm going to look at my local Walgreens too... love the cheaper option!!! 🥂
nymphdancer · 9/9/2011
ME is there a Meijers close to you? they sell the toekini's too, we just started carrying them when I left there.
Might Grip · 9/12/2011
you may wish to take a look at our foot pads which may be of some help in this situation. also coming out with a similar pad in the next couple of weeks that has tack strips on them for pole use. http://mightygrip.info/bmighty-grip-pole-fitnessb-foot-protectors-sole-savers-p-549.html Thank you, joel
JeHanne · 9/12/2011
Thanks Joel! I like the toe holes in this product. I would like to wait for the tack sole savers, will you be announcing when they are available?
Might Grip · 9/12/2011
You bet I will be anouncing their arrival. Three new items will be arriving; Toe pads with tack, knee protector with tack strips and open back, inner thigh protectors. Had some great feed back from our beta testers on all the items. Thank you, Joel
JeHanne · 9/12/2011
Ok Joel... Seriously you just made my DAY with the Knee Protector with open back. Can't wait!!! 🥂 Thank you!!!
Might Grip · 9/12/2011
But it's night time. 🙂 We will post on facebook and SV it allowed. I will check with them first. Joel
JeHanne · 9/12/2011
😕 Time/Space thing gets me every time! I'll be on the lookout for the notices they are available. Thanks again!