Doing pointe in ballet involves a lot of training and proper equipment. Having a well-fitted pointe shoe is the first step in that process, but there are also a myriad of accessories that dancers use to help make pointe look as elegant and effortless as possible. In this post, we’ll address what accessories you can use for pointe and what they do.

	Toe Spacers Toe Spacers are bits of gel that can be inserted in between the toes to help with toe alignment, bunions, and evening out pressure on the toes. They’re available in different sizes and shapes depending on how big the gaps between your toes are or which toes you want to place them between.
	Lambswool Lambswool creates a cushioned layer between the toes and the shoe, which helps to prevent blisters. It can also help to fill any gaps in the pointe box if some toes are longer than others. Lambswool doesn’t take up much room so it can be used after the shoe has already been fitted without much adjustment.
	Toe Tape Toe tape is used to wrap individual toes to reduce chafing and blisters. Like lambswool, toe tape doesn’t take up much space, so you can start using this after your shoes have been fitted.
	Bunheads Big Tip A knitted sleeve that slips over the toe to provide a cushion between the toe and the shoe. Helps to ease discomfort and to minimize the pain of ingrown or cracked toenails.
	Jet Glue Jet Glue is a popular adhesive among dancers for strengthening and prolonging the life of pointe shoes. This specialized glue helps reinforce the box and shank of the shoe, providing added support and durability. Dancers often apply Jet Glue strategically to areas such as the shank and the inside of the box.
	Ouch Pouch An Ouch Pouch is a thin gel pouch covered in fabric used to cushion the toes inside the shoe. It takes up a lot of room in a shoe so it needs to be worn during your fitting. This helps ease and discomfort, and helps prevent blisters.
	Pro Pad Pro Pads are thin, fabric pouches that cover the toes inside the shoe, used to ease pain and discomfort, and to prevent blisters. These only have gel in the tops of the pad, to cushion the tops and tips of the toes. They’re less bulky than Ouch Pouches, but should still be worn when your shoe is being fitted to ensure that your shoes fit correctly.

Not everyone needs pointe accessories, and some teachers actually prefer their dancers to go without because they believe feet need to be toughened up if you’re going to be dancing en pointe. But using them can greatly reduce the pain felt by a dancer and can help remedy other problems that arise from practicing this beautiful form of dance.

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