Ballet pointe shoe

Abstract

The invention relates to a custom-fitting, asymmetric ballet shoe with a shell (9) and liner (13) that enables the dancer to stand en pointe and perform the extreme movements required by ballet choreography with minimal discomfort, pain, and injury to the foot caused by the various aerial ballet maneuvers called for by both traditional and modern choreography. The shoe of the present invention is designed to redistribute the dancer's weight and the ground force reactions associated with dancing en pointe evenly across the toes while translating some of the force away from the distal aspect of the dancer's toes to the rest of the foot. The shoe has a removable cosmetic cover (18) to enable, inter alia, the color and design to be varied according to costume design and the cover's replacement when the fabric is worn, thereby extending the useful life of the remainder of the shoe.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to the field of footwear, and particularly, to dance shoes, and more particularly, to custom-fitting, asymmetric ballet pointe shoes. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] In ballet, movements include dance steps inspired by running, jumping, leaping and physical exertion by a soloist or an interaction between two or more individuals. The end result is a remarkably punishing regimen of movement being associated with virtually any ballet performance. Not surprisingly, the pursuit of perfection in ballet goes along with a remarkably high incidence of strain and injury. Indeed, the problem is so serious that few dancers are able to practice their profession into middle age. [0003] The demands of ballet create significant possibilities of strains and injury to a dancer's feet. While much of a dancer's training is devoted to exercises that strengthen the muscles and tendons of the dancer's feet, there is an ever-present discomfort, pain, ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013] The shoe of the present invention redistributes the dancer's weight and the ground force reactions associated with dancing en pointe evenly across the toes while translating some of the force away from the distal aspect of the dancer's toes to the rest of the foot. The present invention thus distributes the vertical forces exerted upon the foot of a dancer en pointe in an orthopaedically improved manner.

[0015] The present invention also provides a removable cosmetic cover for the ballet shoe. Thus, a single shell can be used with an assortment of covers and the useful life of the shell of the ballet shoe is extended. The color and design of the cover can be varied according to costume design.

Problems solved by technology

Not surprisingly, the pursuit of perfection in ballet goes along with a remarkably high incidence of strain and injury.

Indeed, the problem is so serious that few dancers are able to practice their profession into middle age.

The demands of ballet create significant possibilities of strains and injury to a dancer's feet.

While much of a dancer's training is devoted to exercises that strengthen the muscles and tendons of the dancer's feet, there is an ever-present discomfort, pain, and risk of injury inherent in the art of ballet.

In addition, although the pointe shoe is made with a firm toe box platform at the tip of the shoe providing a firm flat surface on which the dancer balances, serious problems are created by the fact that the toe line of the individual is seldom straight or regular or perpendicular to the ideal vertical line along the dancer's leg.

Unequal weight distribution may result in extreme discomfort or pain to the dancer.

In many cases permanent injury in the nature of toe contractures known as hammertoes, or other serious toe disfigurement, results from undue stress.

The uneven weight distribution and excessive pressure on the weight bearing toes also results in a number of foot health problems such as stress-induced toe buckling or bending, blistering, skin irritation, painful corns, stress fractures, bunions (a bony enlargement of the big toe joint), and ingrown toenails to mention a few.

In addition to the aforementioned health problems, the unequal weight distribution may cause the dancer's feet to tilt to one side or “sickle out” through lack of balance, resulting in poor technique or “line” in the pointe position.

The pointe shoes themselves do offer some support but quickly breakdown and lose their beneficial characteristics, often ready to be discarded after one performance.

The connection between the toe and sole is not easy to manufacture and can come loose after prolonged use.

This type of slipper is labor intensive and expensive to produce, although some improved casting methods have been developed to speed the laminating steps, for example as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,966 to Terlizzi.

Moreover, the traditional ballet slipper requires extensive breaking-in before it is comfortable for use.

Once the slipper is broken in, it will have an extremely short useful life, usually no more than twenty to forty-five minutes during a performance.

The short useful life is attributable to the deterioration of the toe box and or shank caused by the rapid breakdown of the glue used to form the laminates of the toe box.

Once the shank and / or toe box have deteriorated, the slipper is useless because there will be no support for the dancer.

A further problem encountered with the traditional ballet slipper is that the outer cover (typically a satin material) is slippery and can contribute to skids and falls when the ballerina is rising to the pointe position.

Nevertheless, falls do occur.

Ballet shoes have not kept pace with the technical demands of ballet choreography.

If the shoe is too wide or too loose the foot will slide unrestrained down into the box, causing all the dancer's weight to be focused on the tips of her longest toes, resulting in pain as well as potentially contributing to problems such as arthritis, bunions, hammer toes, calluses, claw toe deformities, stress fractures, and bruised or lost toenails.

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