I have a specific question about the Payless Shoe Source leather ballet slippers, if any of you have bought them. The sales person said they run small, and don't really stretch that much. They are a really supple soft leather, and are for my four year old. Don't all leather ballet slippers stretch a bit? Was just wondering if any of your Payless ones have stretched.
I sooo wouldn't get payless slippers. I have never had any good luck with them. They never fit right and would stretch to much or never enough. Try these:
http://www.discountdance.com/dancewear/kids/ballet-slippe...
This is where I bough all of mine and LOVED them.
they don't really stretch..also you don't want to put tight shoes on a 4 year old...their bones are not supposed to be squished.
I bought my granddaughter's ballet shoes at Payless and they did run small and they did not stretch.
Krista's right -- get the real leather ones from the studio or a ballet shop. I suspect that the Payless ones, despite their suppleness, will turn out not to be real leather but at least partly some synthetic material that will not stretch. You don't want the shoes to be too tight to start with and then have to depend on their stretching to fit.
Someone mentioned $25 and up for slippers -- nope. My daughter has danced for about six years and we never pay more than $18 to $30 maximum and that's for better shoes than you'd need for small child. You may pay around $15 to $20, I would think. And don't forget, you can wash leather ballet slippers -- just never, ever put them in a dryer!
Also, ask the dance studio if the shoes must be leather or if your daughter can wear canvas ones. My daughter actually prefers the feel of canvas but is required to wear leather at her level of dance. Canvas is a bit cheaper but doesn't necessarily hold up as long. Whatever you get, you'll need to buy more since her little feet will grow fast. But it's worth it if she really likes to dance!
ok so i may be against the grain here lol. Get the payless slippers. at 4 yrs old they dance for about 40 minutes a week and out of that 40 minutes a good 10 of that is spent on listening and then potty breaks. she will outgrow them before the next session starts. just saying unless your girl is in dance 5 days a week multiple classes or you have her a practice bar at home and she is dancing daily then the payless ones are fine for the first few years. if she sticks and gets really into it and you are doing more than just the park district or bitty ballet stuff you don't need to spend a fortune on the shoes.
Leather stretches when you have it on. The moisture from your feet dampens it and allows it. I buy our ballet slippers from the dance studio. Each brand is different. On brand our girl wears a 12 1/2 and another she wears a 2. I wash them to clean them and then let them sit out to dry. They shouldn't be more than $25-$30 for really good ones.
They were perfect for my 4 year old - and they were true to her size. They did stretch just a little as her foot grew - I got 9 months wear out of them. The propper way to measure ballet shoes is to point the toe and you should be able to pinch the back seam together about almost a half inch. And the elastic bow can actually be tightened if they are slightly loose and then as they grow you can loosen it up a bit. I will definitely but these for a couple more years until we get really serious with dance cuz the price is great!
Are they really leather? If not, then they will not stretch. If they are "real leather", they will stretch with the moisture and warmth of her feet... but 4 yr olds don't build up enough "warmth" during their ballet classes to make a difference.
I studied ballet starting at age 3 and through college... don't buy cheap ballet shoes, but you don't need to buy the most expensive either. Cheap ballet shoes (like any other shoe) may not provide the correct support for her little feet. At this age, though, you don't want to be investing $50 every year in ballet slippers!
See if you can find a local dancewear outlet or retailer and compare the shoes. You can always return the ones from Payless if the "better" shoes feel the same to you. My guess, though, is that you will find that the slightly higher quality shoe will breathe and stretch with your daughter.
Hi,
My 4 1/2 daughter has been wearing those for nearly two years now (3 pairs)
Actually did not find them small, but quite on the spot. As for stretching - it may seem that those shoes are not "giviing" since the have the rounded tip, but I feel they are excellent! I usually buy a maximum of 1/2 size larger than foot, cause they have to fit snug.
Z.
