Ballet Shoe Maintenance - How To Clean Your Ballet Shoes

Ballet is a beautiful style of performance dance. The gracefulness of the dance style exhibits art. Hence, it is significant to prioritise the visuals and appearance of perfection. To look your best, ensure a clean look for your dancewear. Moreover, your delicate ballet shoes need to be cleaned as they deserve love and maintenance so you can get the best wear. Furthermore, proper maintenance will ensure a longer ballet shoe lifespan. As well as offering high-quality dancewear, Mino Dance also offers dancers a guide to clean and maintain the ballet shoes that they purchase properly.

Understanding Your Ballet Shoes

Ballet flats are crafted with soft leather, satin or canvas, with a thin and lightweight shoe design. The renowned signature ballet shoes are made with thin soles to enhance flexibility for ballet dancers. Ballet shoes incorporate elastic to snugly secure the fit around the foot, ensuring safety and comfort. There are different types of ballet shoes, such as split soles and full soles. The varying designs and materials may impact the way of cleaning and maintenance of the ballet shoe.

Cleaning Ballet Shoes

Every time you use your ballet shoes, it is recommended to gently use a damp cloth to wipe the exterior of your ballet shoes. However, this may differ depending on the material and intricacy of your ballet shoes.

Leather ballet shoes - when washing leather ballet shoes, use a soft and moist cloth to clean them. Utilising a makeup-removing wipe is another alternative for the more stubborn scuff marks. Another alternative is expired moisturiser because it is a softer and supple way.
Canvas ballet shoes - when washing canvas shoes in the washing machine, ensure that you place them inside a wash bag. The washing machine should operate with a delicate cycle, cold water and mild detergent - a gentle hand wash would be preferred to ensure longevity.
Satin ballet shoes - Ballet shoes made of satin are more delicate. Hence, remember to wash it with utmost care.
Spot cleaning - for delicate cleaning spots on your ballet shoes, you can use a specialist solution or baking soda.

Drying Your Ballet Shoes

Following the cleaning process, you must be careful with the way you dry your ballet shoes as well. Naturally, it is advised that your ballet shoes be air-dried in a well-ventilated environment. It is essential to refrain from direct exposure to sunlight or heat sources because it can lead to damage or deformation.

Ballet Shoe Storage

To take care of ballet shoes, you must take care of them even when you are not using them. The ballet shoes should be stored in a clean and dry bag or container. This ensures the protection of the shoes from dust, moisture, and possible damage. When placing them in the bag, they must not be compressed or twisted to maintain the original shape of the shoe design. Hence, this ensures the ballet shoes' longevity. In addition to this, your ballet shoes will be more orderly and organised easier.

Additional Ballet Shoe Maintenance Tips

Rotate your ballet shoes as a regular routine so you can properly clean and dry your ballet shoes each time you wear them.
Frequent inspections of your ribbons and elastics on ballet shoes are essential so they are not loose or showing signs of wear and tear.