Ballet Boot Training Advice Please!!! - Page 2

DR Who 3 · 19th July 2008, 14:17

I'll try the pillow under my feet thing as I have one of those memory foam beds and my heels sink into the foam. Do you have a pair of ballet boots and do you use them? If so please share your expierence.

balletboot · 20th July 2008, 17:33

i myself have a pair of ballet heels and i love them, when i first got them i couldnt keep my knees straight but after about a week or two if practicing i could straighten out my knees and walk in them with holding onto something, so i would say all u really need to do is practice. its been about 6 months since i got them and now i can confidently walk up and down stairs without holding onto the rail

DR Who 3 · 21st July 2008, 15:10

That's cool I have been working on going up and down stairways as well. This spring I was out west for a while and went out in public and tried to walk down hill, quite the work out and challange as the girl in the German video explaines. And yes I agree the more your able to practice the better you get at walking/standing in bheels.
Dr. Who 3

balletboot · 22nd July 2008, 05:42

thats one that i havnt tried is going down hills but i might have to give it a shot now that u mention it

balletboot2000 · 22nd July 2008, 08:47

Balletboot,
as mentioned by Dr Who, its the practice required at going down hill that is the hardest. Its a matter of practice, but try and make sure that there is something like a handrail nearby to help steady yourself. You'll have to bend your knees. Make sure you are comfy with your toe padding before you go too far.

balletboot · 23rd July 2008, 05:22

yes i would asume that i would have to bend my knees, i can walk around and stand for a couple hours without my feet starting to hurt, i have been wearing ballet boots for about 6 months and all i have done is practiced to get to this point and i can walk up and down stairs and on flat surfaces without holding on to anything and feeling completly comfertable, so some time in the near future i will give it a try.

Mckailah · 25th July 2008, 09:02

I have a suggestion for those looking to train their feet to be En Pointe. (wear ballet heels or extreme [6 or more inches] high heels) I use this method every night and I can now bend my feet into a banana shape, after only three weeks of training. I don't get any more cramps, and I am also working on building up toe strength while doing this exercise.

Materials:
1 24" x 30" piece of 3/4" plywood.
1 belt (Webbed cloth, not leather, at least 2" wide and 40" long)
2 towels (You can use any cloth to covre the wood and use as a pad.)

Step 1: Place plywood on ground or foot of bed.

Step 2: Place one towel over wood to prevent splinters.

Step 3: Fold the second towel into a square and place on top of the second towel, between the front (the side farthest from you) and the middle of the wood

Step 4: Place belt under the front of the wood with the buckle off to one side, extended to a length that is comfortable for your feet

Step 5: Place heels on the folded towel, and hook feet under belt with belt just behind toes.

Step 6: Extend legs out as far as you can by scooting your bottom back and keeping your heels on the folded towel

You should feel the muscles and tendons stretching as you do this. DO NOT OVER STRETCH! You can actually damage the muscles and tendons in your feet by overstretching. You should feel a gentle stretch to start off with and then gradually increase the stretch. You should feel this stretching feeling start to subside after a few minutes if done correctly. I personally hold this stretch for about 30 minutes and then wait at least an hour before I do it again.

Step 7 (optional): You can use a second belt to fasten the part of the plywood around your calves, if and only if you wist to sleep in this setup. Although sleeping with your feet is NOT recommended, you can search online for a contraption called a night splint which can safely keep your feet bent and "stretching" while you sleep. They are usually used for Planter Fascitis (a condition in which the tendons in the lower arch of the foot have become over stretched or over shortened causing a constant dull to extreme pain in the arch.)

To get a better pointe posture for your feet, bend at the waist while sitting down and try to touch your toes. Most people cannot touch their toes while en pointe, but the closer you get, the more of a stretch you will feel. Again, DO NOT OVER STRETCH!

After a week or so, tighten the belt just a little bit and stretch a little more. A very small amount of tightening is necessary to make a large amount of difference in the stretching feeling.

If you want to build toe strength, while doing this stretch, try to pioint your toes to the ceiling, and hold it for as long as you can, then try to point your toes to the floor and hold for as long as you can.

!!!ATTENTION!!!

I am not a medical doctor, nor do I hold any licenses in medicine or muscular therapy. Take this advise at your own risk and please consult a medical professional before undertaking any new stretching regimine. Please also, look online for a product called the ballet foot stretch @ www.footstretch.com to get an idea of what this stretch does, as this piece of equipment does the exact same thing as what I have explained. This site will also teach you a little more of how to do other stretches and may lead you to other sites about ballet stretching and strength training.

Thank you for your time.

TaraSterling · 30th July 2008, 22:15

For me, the hot thing about ballet boots (esp. locking ones) is that my sub is *not* able to walk in them... However if it is really important to you, perhaps a real ballet class with dancing on point would be helpful?

Is anyone here a practicing/ former ballet dancer? I would be really interested in hearing comparrisons between real ballet dancing on point and fetish ballet boots...

thehighheelsgirl · 31st July 2008, 03:36

I used to be a ballerina, and I can tell you it def helps me wear ballet boots. As a ballerina, honestly, the heel is more in the way than anything, but you get used to it. If you have strong feet and good technique, you don't need the heel ;)

Jen

derf · 3rd August 2008, 15:38

The Devious brand ballet heels are made with the heel too long. Brand new out of the box if you stand up the shoe and look at the heel angle it is angled forward. Tip the shoe back until the heel is straight up. Measure the gap between the sole under the toe and the floor. This is how much needs to be cut off of the heel before you can walk properly in your ballets. If the toe area is not properly padded the shoe will break down around the toe and cause the shoe to lean forward again which may result in another cutting of the heel.