I've been teaching ballet at the Academie de Ballet in Chesapeake, VA for 17 years. Every year up until this one, I've given my new pointe students a little booklet explaining how to buy pointe shoes, where to buy pointe shoes, how to know if your shoes fit properly, what type of pads to use, etc. This year I decided to create a blog site with this information for my students rather than handing them so many papers! I hope that whoever you are reading this - whether you are my student or not - that you find this information helpful.
By the way, if you are looking for a ballet school and you live in the Tidewater area, come visit us! We are located at 904 Oak Grove Road in Chesapeake, VA.