The reinforced ballet shoe, built from a stiffened toe box and a supporting shank. It gets fitted rather than simply bought – and only after you pass the readiness check.
Two components decide everything: the toe box, the stiffened platform you stand on, and the shank, the firm insole supporting your arch. The box has to hold your toes snugly but pain-free – too wide and you swim in it, too narrow and the toes get crushed. The shank has to match your foot strength: one too stiff for your foot to work through blocks exactly the smooth roll-up you bought it for. The most expensive mistake is buying a size up \"to grow into\" – that's unstable and dangerous. And breaking in means dancing, not hammering: short sessions at the barre with plenty of relevés. Doors and hammers destroy the very structure meant to carry you.