Toe Spacers

[Chris Stratton]

A long time ago when I was trying on my first ballroom shoes in a ballet-oriented store, the sales lady said something about toe spacers, which was promptly all but forgotten.

A few years later, I've been off and on worried about the way in which working towards the extremes of the feet in ballroom, combined with the un-natural shape of the shoes, puts an uncomfortable side load on my big toe knuckle. So yesterday I finally opened the toe spacers I bought in a pharmacy foot care aisle a few months ago - little chunks of silicone rubber that go between the big toe and the others. Put those on, put on the old pair of half-size larger shoes.

And wow... much, much more supported footwork, with far less discomfort. The spacer keeps the knuckle aligned, so it's far easier to take my weight extremely forward in the toes - which goes directly into a better feather step.

I'm not sure if I'm going to wear them all the time - ideally I'd like to strengthen whatever normally aligns that joint. Also doing a lot of wiggling bare feet around trying to identify the muscles that might spread the toes...

[Sagitta]

Interesting observation. Maybe I should get toe spacers and my 1/2 size old ballroom suede shoes wil fit better. Know where I can buy any as I have never heard of these before?

[Chris Stratton]

If all you want to do is tighten them up, the thinnest foam insole should do the trick - in fact it may be too much. These spacers came from a pharmacy foot care aisle, but I have no idea which one...

Just found what's left of the packaging - try a google search on the brand name, "PediFix" and you will find plenty.

Acutally, in looking at the larger shoes the issue on mine is that the edges of the lacing gap tend to meet. I wonder about cutting that back somehow (and re-finishing the edge) to end up with something wider in the toe, and narrower elsewhere. Or maybe one of these days I'll go get some leather scraps and embark on an ambitious project...

[pygmalion]

This is an interesting thread. It's amazing to me how many cool foot/toe/arch thingies there are on the market. And it's more amazing yet how few ballroom people use them. Maybe they don't know. :? If you pick up a copy of any self-respecting ballet catalog, there are at least two to three fixes for any foot problem you can imagine -- maybe because ballet dancers' feet take such a beating. I don't know.

But it really behooves any dancer to at least look around. There are toe spacers, bunion pads, little tube-shaped toe protectors to prevent corns, gel toe box pads, you name it. Pretty cool. :)

[DancingMommy]

Oh gosh yes. Back in *the day* (when I danced en pointe), they didn't have those newfangled inventions. All we had was wadded up lambs wool and we were HAPPY to get it. And then we kept a bottle of aspirin and a box of bandaids in the shoe bag for *after* class...

[Chris Stratton]

Oh gosh yes. Back in *the day* (when I danced en pointe), they didn't have those newfangled inventions. All we had was wadded up lambs wool and we were HAPPY to get it.

Yeah, well, we can't all be afford to be picky, so sometimes we have to make do with what is available. NYC has more pharmacies than farms...

[DancingMommy]

Do you NOT see the irony here????

I have mangled feet because they didn't have those things. It was either lambs wool or NOTHING back then.

:roll:

[pygmalion]

Yeah. I've seen some ex-ballerina feet that just made me shudder, Bunions! And other scary, scary things. Ballerinas paid a high price for their art, back in the day. Young people today have no idea ... :roll: :lol:

[labelledanseuse]

:shock: I had no clue that toe spacers were used by ballroom dancers. I thought that only pointe dancers used them. I will be taking pointe either next year or the year after that. :? I don't think that women can use toe spacers, though, since most wear open-toe shoes.

[Laura]

Ahhh, one of the joys of dancing Standard -- there's a lot of things you can hide in your shoes. I've been known to use gel inserts, heel grips, extra padding in the heels and toes, and those little "jellies" things that slip on over your toes.

And then I finally found shoes that fit me properly without any of this stuff. Heaven.

[Chris Stratton]

I had no clue that toe spacers were used by ballroom dancers. I thought that only pointe dancers used them.

Guess who clued me into their existence? A saleswoman who sold the occasional ballroom shoe, and a whole lot of pointe shoes...

Ballroom isn't pointe, but it ideally comes a lot closer to it than anything the rest of the general public does, and it seems like we should be able to learn what not to do from the harsh lessons of broken ballerina feet.

[DancingMommy]

Unless of course you count running into furniture repeatedly with your toes....

I dare ya to slap on a pair of pointe shoes, lol! I double dare ya... I ouble DOG dare ya.

[Chris Stratton]

I dare ya to slap on a pair of pointe shoes, lol! I double dare ya... I ouble DOG dare ya.

Bring some in my size and a really sturdy barre and I'll at least experiment. I must admit I am rather curious how (if at all) the shoes distribute the loads compared to what would happen if you were barefoot...

But the point (sorry) in ballroom is more to get extremely forward in the toes, not vertically over the ends of them. Still, toes that want to fold funny have plenty of encouragement to do so in that situation. Tracking down and really talking to some ballet people (or their doctors) is on my distant to-do list.

[DancingMommy]

Heheheheh

First of all, all your weight is going to be on either your first and second toes or maybe toes 1-3 if you are lucky. ;)

For me, I have an odd shaped foot, so all my weight was nicely distributed over my big toe only. Hence the mangled feet.

It isn't so much that the shoe distributes the load as all your toes are crammed together (sort of)....

Here's some INTERESTING stuff....

dancer.com/peekinside.html <--- This is kind of like the anatomy of a pointe shoe. I use to wear Capezio pointe shoes. Darned uncomfy.

Here's the page on foot types --> dancer.com/foottype.html

I have the middle kind (Egyptian Foot), so my weight distribution would be different than someone else's. :)

IF I were to dance en pointe again, I'd ONLY ever wear Gaynor-Minden shoes. They are AWESOME. <sigh>

[Chris Stratton]

It isn't so much that the shoe distributes the load as all your toes are crammed together (sort of)...

Kind of what I expected, given what I found myself (probably unwisely) doing while breaking in split-sole patent leather standard shoes...

[GalacticDancer44M]

Heheheheh

First of all, all your weight is going to be on either your first and second toes or maybe toes 1-3 if you are lucky. ;)

For me, I have an odd shaped foot, so all my weight was nicely distributed over my big toe only. Hence the mangled feet.

It isn't so much that the shoe distributes the load as all your toes are crammed together (sort of)....

Here's some INTERESTING stuff....

dancer.com/peekinside.html <--- This is kind of like the anatomy of a pointe shoe. I use to wear Capezio pointe shoes. Darned uncomfy.

Here's the page on foot types --> dancer.com/foottype.html

I have the middle kind (Egyptian Foot), so my weight distribution would be different than someone else's. :)

IF I were to dance en pointe again, I'd ONLY ever wear Gaynor-Minden shoes. They are AWESOME. <sigh>


Thanks for the interesting link (and also bringing up the topic Chris). I sometimes find discomfort with my right foot. I think I'll try the toe spacer. The website only mentions the toe spacer for in btwn the big toe and the 2nd toe. Chris, it sounds like you've used additional spacers too. I guess I'll have to experiment.

Found out I have Egyptian feet too DancingMommy! :lol: Learn something new everyday. Funny how the site mentions that the first 2 types of feet are more conducive for dancing.

[DancingMommy]

They are specificially sdpeaking to dancing in ballet/pointe, of course. 8)

Now if only ballroom shoe makers could give us the variety that you can get with pointe shoes. I'm speaking directly to closed toe court shoes here, ya know. It seems like they are all made from just about the same last (that's the mold/foot form thingy) if they are all of one brand.

Hmmmmm You'd think that Freed of London could do a better job.... After all, they alrady have a zillion different lasts for pointe shoes.....

[pygmalion]

I wonder if it's a matter of lack of information. I bet you ninety percent of the people wearing court shoes have no idea what a last is, or that custom made ones are available for ballet shoes.

I also suspect multiple lasts (or custom shoes) wouldn't be as financially rewarding for makers of ballroom shoes as for makers of ballet shoes. Meaning, how long doe sit take a ballerina to go through a pair of pointe shoes? One performance? Two? But ballroom folks hold onto their shoes a lot longer, on average, unless I've been reading the wrong stuff. Hmm.

[DancingMommy]

Well, a last is a frame of reference for making a style or pair of shoes. And THEN you have a "maker" - that is the guy who actually MAKES the shoes. He may use last X, but his shoes might be different than Maker So-so who uses last X as well.

Making pointe shoes is all done by hand - which you'd think was the case with ballroom shoes, ya know? At least I ASSUMED it was considering what they freaking cost. A pair of pointe shoes can cost about $60 USD. that's average. If you are a bargain shopper you can pay HALF that.

And as for going through shoes, I trash mine FAST. I've got pairs and pairs that I've been able to wear what? 3 times? 4? And then the balance is allwrong, they are stretched out, etc.

If I bought shoes as much as I need to, we'd all be broke. I mean, Imelda Marcos never spent as much on shoes as I'd need to.

[Chris Stratton]

Thanks for the interesting link (and also bringing up the topic Chris). I sometimes find discomfort with my right foot. I think I'll try the toe spacer. The website only mentions the toe spacer for in btwn the big toe and the 2nd toe. Chris, it sounds like you've used additional spacers too. I guess I'll have to experiment.

Nope, just the one on each foot. Right one probably isn't doing that much... but then I hate it when even my sox are slightly different...

[GalacticDancer44M]

Thanks for the interesting link (and also bringing up the topic Chris). I sometimes find discomfort with my right foot. I think I'll try the toe spacer. The website only mentions the toe spacer for in btwn the big toe and the 2nd toe. Chris, it sounds like you've used additional spacers too. I guess I'll have to experiment.

Nope, just the one on each foot. Right one probably isn't doing that much... but then I hate it when even my sox are slightly different...

Chris, thanks for clarifying this before I ended up filling my toes up with spacers and stomping around the dance floor like BIG FOOT! :lol:

You know you more experienced dancers can really play some bad pranks on us less experienced ones if you really wanted to! I can just imagine my instructor saying "what's wrong with you today"! :twisted:

[ayume]

Also doing a lot of wiggling bare feet around trying to identify the muscles that might spread the toes...

I don't mean to hi-jack the thread :oops: but I practice yoga to strengthen my arches and toes...This website has a couple of yoga poses for the feet, which I find extremely helpful (and relieving).

http://www.sunandmoonstudio.com/feet.html

The website doesn't give specific details of the poses, though...

[DancingMommy]

Picking up marbles with your toes

By using your toes to pick up marbles not only strengthens the foot muscles but also promotes the use of using toes as individual entities as opposed to a group.

I already CAN do this, lol! I use my feet to pick things up as much as I do my hands.... Maybe I'm the missing link?

[GalacticDancer44M]

Picking up marbles with your toes

By using your toes to pick up marbles not only strengthens the foot muscles but also promotes the use of using toes as individual entities as opposed to a group.

I already CAN do this, lol! I use my feet to pick things up as much as I do my hands.... Maybe I'm the missing link?

Can you pick up a banana? If not, you're most likely not the missing link :lol: Please share some photos!

In all seriousness, I guess you're feet are more capable of doing things than ordinarily expected. I can still remember seeing on TV a young man from South America born without any arms playing the folk guitar for the Pope with his feet that was amazing.

[DancingMommy]

Well I CAN'T play guitar.... But I've got pretty dexterous toes. ;)

I can pick up a jar of baby food with both feet. :-P

[ayume]

I can pick up a jar of baby food with both feet. :-P

Do you do that standing up or sitting down? :?

[DancingMommy]

Sitting down... :) Otherwise I'd just end up on me @rse....

[amrimi]

By using your toes to pick up marbles not only strengthens the foot muscles but also promotes the use of using toes as individual entities as opposed to a group.

I already CAN do this, lol! I use my feet to pick things up as much as I do my hands.... Maybe I'm the missing link?

I do this to a lot. Lots of times I open doors with my feet when i have stuff in my hand

[labelledanseuse]

I have the Giselle/Peasant Foot. My foot is also compressible, but the site says that compressible feet are usually Greek or Egyptian. :?

[Chris Stratton]

I do this to a lot. Lots of times I open doors with my feet when i have stuff in my hand

Yeah, but can you tie your shoelaces?

Or at least button your cuffs?

[Medira]

I already CAN do this, lol! I use my feet to pick things up as much as I do my hands.... Maybe I'm the missing link?

I do this to a lot. Lots of times I open doors with my feet when i have stuff in my hand
Hehehe, it's a handy skill, though those round, smooth doorknobs can be such a pain.

I have the compressible Greek/Morton's foot and I had such a horrible time with ponte shoes. I loved it though. I found that the capezios tended to crack down the length of the toe, which made it just brutal to dance on after a while. My feet are still ugly and mangled, even though it's been almost 6 years since I gave it up.

[Medira]

I do this to a lot. Lots of times I open doors with my feet when i have stuff in my hand

Yeah, but can you tie your shoelaces?

Or at least button your cuffs?I can do buttons, but shoelaces are difficult without use of both feet.