Pointe Shoes

Thanks to Charles Didelot, the idea of dancers dancing on their toes became possible. Didelot invented a machine called the “flying machine” that temporarily lifted dancers onto the tips of their toes, giving them an ethereal, weightless look (Guiheen). This magnificent invention made inventors, choreographers, and dancers look for ways to remain on their toes for a longer period of time. In the 19th century, during the Romantic period of ballet, dancers began constructing a shoe that would allow them to go on pointe for a moment on their own. Marie Taglioni, the first ballerina to extensively perform on pointe, wore shoes with leather bottoms and darned sides and toes to help the shoes maintain their shape (More to the Pointe). 

 During the Romantic era, many ballets explored the realm of the dead, as seen in Giselle and La Sylphide. The romantic tutu and point shoes allowed the dancers to appear as if they were floating across the stage. During this time, dancers developed the strength and technology to be able to rise to the tops of their toes, including on one leg, as seen in the image on the right. Early pointe shoes were often constructed with just darning and light reinforcement, which provided some support to the dancer; however, they lacked the solid flat platform seen in later models. Due to their flexible and less structured design, pointe shoes of this era were typically quite noisy, making a distinct thud rather than being silent (Performance Medicine).