In 6 Easy Steps (with Illustrations), Learn to Tie Your Pointe Shoes Like a Pro!

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   So, lace up your pointe shoes. Pointe shoes with ribbons sewn on should fit snugly.

   Slip your foot into the shoe and make any necessary adjustments (such as pulling the drawstring of your pointe shoes tighter or sliding the elastic straps apart). )

   • Make sure you're donning your toe pads and other pointe shoe essentials before taking the stage.

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   Set your foot in the right place. Tie your pointe shoes while seated on the floor with your foot flat. There should be a 90-degree angle between your shin and your ankle when your leg is in the correct position. [2]

   • So that the ribbons on your pointe shoes have some slack when you stand on them, flex your ankle as you tie them.
   • That way, when you first begin learning how to dance en pointe, you won't hurt yourself with the taut ribbons and risk losing blood flow when your feet are flat on the floor.

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   Tie a bow around the ribbon on the inside. To put on a pointe shoe, cross the ribbon inside the shoe over the top of your foot. Tie the bow around your foot so that it rests atop your prominent outer ankle bone. Slip the ribbon behind your inner ankle, over your Achilles tendon, and back to the other side.

   • Make sure there are no slacks or folds in the ribbon where it crosses your foot. [3]
   • The inner ribbon will be wrapped more tightly around your ankle. Your ankles will benefit from the additional support.

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   Tie a bow on the outside ribbon. With one hand securing the inner ribbon in place on the inside of your ankle, use the other to cross the outer ribbon over the top of your foot and around to the inner side of your other ankle. Wrap the outer ribbon across your ankle (across your Achilles tendon) while holding the inner ribbon in place. Then, bring it across the front of your ankle, back to the front of your foot (keeping it above your outer ankle bone). You should cross it over your ankle completely so that it connects with the inner ribbon you have been holding in place.

   • Make sure the ribbon is taut against your skin and there are no slack spots or folds as you wrap it around.

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   Create a knot. If you hold both ribbons at your inner ankle, you can simply loop the outer one over the inner one and then feed it down through the space created by the crossed ribbons and your ankle. Raise the tension on both ribbons. Then, using the outer ribbon, perform the same looping and pulling motion.

   • When tied, the knot should rest on the outer side of the ankle, in the depression created by the inner ankle bone and the Achilles tendon.
   • If you tie the knot here, the pointe shoe ribbons will lay relatively flat on the ankle.

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   Into the tassels the ribbons must be tucked. Once you've tied the ribbons around your ankle, you can tuck the loose ends inside the knot. You can secure the remaining ribbons by pressing them down with your fingers.

   • If you're worried about the knot coming undone, you can use hairspray or even sew it in place with the ribbons.
   • After you've tied the knot, if there's a lot of extra ribbon hanging off the sides, you can cut it off. Just make sure to save enough ribbon for future pointe shoe tying. This is especially significant if you switch which foot your pointe shoes are on, as the ribbon lengths must be adjusted accordingly.
   • It's possible that slanting the ribbon cutter's blade will lessen the fraying of the cut ribbons.

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