Specially designed and perfect fitting is required in Ballet footwear as Ballet dancing puts lots of strain on the feet. Therefore before investing for the Ballet shoes, one must seek guidelines from a professional shoemaker or the dance teacher.

1. As the tradition goes, Ballet shoes come in pink satin with straps tied round the calf. Besides satin, other materials such as leather, canvas are also used for ballet footwear. Canvas shoes are cost efficient but wears out fast compared to the leather shoes. Canvas shoes are mostly worn by the men. Comparing longevity and cost, the leather shoes are much preferable with the added advantage that the latter helps in molding the feet too.
2. Among the three main types of Ballet shoes, soft ballet shoes are meant for the beginners. They are very soft, sometimes with or without straps and comfortably fits in the feet. For the experienced ballet dancers Pointe shoes are available, since the dancer needs to balance on their toes. Many dancing schools do not permit the wear of Pointe shoes unless the dancer has five to six years of dancing experience. Fittings and style of the Pointe shoes are very important and so very often these shoes are custom made for the dancer to avail the best fitting according to the toe length and the shape of the feet.
3. Split and full soled ballet shoes are also available. The suede provided in the soles gives additional support and strength to the shoes thus adding more longevity. In shoes with split soles the suede is covered only in the toe region and the heels, whereas in the full sole versions the suede is covered throughout the entire sole of the feet making the shoe more durable. Beginners seek the full soled shoes while the half soled version is preferred by the experienced dancers.
4. Ballet dancing demands hard work and expertise, so the right pair of shoes helps in better performance enhancing the beauty of the feet. Before buying, it is advisable to go through different purchasing sites online and offline and do some research, so that one can get the best pair with best fit.