How I Prepare My Pointe Shoes | Isabella Boylston 

I love how you mentioned social and economical issues and raised awareness! So glad you made a YT channel and has shown more of who you are beside being a kickass dancer 😊

dancers who don’t wear toe pads are a whole different breed 😂 mad respect!

I'm so happy you mentioned that you shouldn't start pointe until 10 or 11. I see so many videos of 8/9 year olds starting pointe on Instagram.

This is how to use the social media platform that talent, effort and discipline (sometimes) reward with fame. No Diva attitude or obnoxious, selfish, clueless behavior here. Boylston comes across as a grounded, kind, smart woman who understands that her ballet success is owed to more than than just herself. She knows her student followers' potential financial restraints, because she's been there. She gives good practical advice for the dancers hoping to follow in her footsteps. She's even mindful of the environment. I eagerly anticipate much more wondrous dancing from Boylston. And one day -- hopefully far in the future -- when her dancing career comes to a close, she's going to be an amazing ABT director.

I'm really glad you made this video. It's always cool to see how each dancer customizes their own shoes. And I love your dress!

When I went on pointe and asked my mom to help me sew (she is a seamstress). her exact words were "do it yourself, Its character building."

THATS SO SMART, why did I never think about Rosin inside the shoe to stop it from coming off

wow your arch is AMAZING! you seem like such a humble person

I just about melted when she put on the raw pointe shoes to give them their first try. There is something so classy and exhilarating about perfect feet in un-ribboned, brand new pointe shoes. Ughhh 😩

Love that you care about the environment enough to realize “small” problems like plastic packaging!

I am a 64 yr old retired nurse who will NEVER go on point in this lifetime but I am fascinated by this! ☺️

Yesss she made a RU-vid!!! I’ve been waiting for this video!!! Honestly she’s so down To earth, humble and so sweet!!!

I am so lazy with sewing I wouldn't quit my dead shoes because I didn't want to sew my new ones for so long I drove my teacher crazy and she offered to do it

Loved this video!! I recently switched to Bloch shoes and they are so PERFECT for me!! Can't believe you don't wear any padding Isabella, you are brave!!!

I am not a ballet dancer and I don't wear pointe shoes., but i am always fascinated to watch these videos)))

I wish videos like this had existed 40 years ago. I had so many questions and nobody to ask even when I was at a big-name professional school.

I love these kinds of videos 🥰 also you’re such an inspiration!!! ❤️❤️

LOVE LOVE LOVE this video! More of this please! So informative and useful. Will try the stretch/nonstretch hack the next time I'm sewing! xx

You are literally one of my biggest idols! I am a 12 year old aspiring dancer and i am getting fitted for point shoes next week! have been obsessed with point shoe videos :)

That was the sweetest most humble disclaimer I’ve ever seen ❤

Love this! I've been experimenting with my own pointe shoes recently and figuring out what works for me. I'm excited to test some of these out!

I love when you post videos about how you do things.

I was crunching on Doritos cool ranch every time you crunched your shoes. So satisfying! I felt somewhat elegant like a ballerina.

Gosh...thats so honest and conscious about world issues, so beautiful...this is what ballet world needs now! Yass Ms Boylston

Thank you for such a helpful video! I love how you mention cost issues and especially when it's too early to go en pointe. I was invited when I was 8 and after going to the doctor, it was a HARD no! I just got fitted for my first pair and I'm working on sewing my elastics.

Great video, you definitely said a lot of things that people need to hear. The most important being, do not go on point too early!! That really can't be stressed enough. It's a process just like every thing else and going on point before your muscles are developed properly is so incredibly dangerous. To all the young dancers out there, please be patient, the time will come when you're good and ready, I promise!! Great video!!

You're such an incredible dancer 🙌🏻 It was lovely to see your personality and thoughts shine through in this video. Thank you for being such an inspiration to myself other aspiring ballet students. Love from Australia 🇦🇺🥰💗

When I danced on pointe shoes I remember using non-waxed floss to sew them I think because floss is stronger than thread but idk 😂

I love the fact you can talk with such clarity about not just "ballet" but issues also e.g. the points you raised about commercial opportunities. I've loved the work you did with Dane Shitagi and Ballerina Project, I could imagine someone may well have got 20 models over a year or so & produced a book with a similar theme *but* it'd never have looked the same. Also, Wolford designers got lucky when you, Katie Boren et. al. modelled their attire so well. Fascinating video! Question though: Do you like to dance in other footwear, not particularly dance shoes or tap shoes, say baseball boots or trainers/sneakers?

I 💯 agree with actual dancers modeling the shoe correctly, and love your point about it giving the dancer more exposure and opportunity. I really enjoyed your video.

They are so beautiful and shiny all by themselves without any alterations

So excited for this channel! I love your point about using actual dancers in advertising. :)

Aaahhhhh yes the one thing I do not miss about ballet😌

i’m getting my third pair next week. i started last october and i’m really excited. i love getting fitted. it makes me really happy. also my summer classes start the day after my fitting and then i have my intensive in august!

love this video bella!!! i saw you perform odette/odile this july and truly consider you an inspiration. ❤

Is that some Kendall Jenner shade I hear? 😂😂😂

I loved this video! I will download it and put it in out stores tv our customers will love it too!

oh my gosh isabella i love you so much!!! you are my favorite dancer and i have watched endless videos of you dancing while in awe.

OMG I loved that part with you banging the hell out of your pointe shoes on the stairs complete with your costume and headphones 🤣🤣🤣 I also enjoyed watching the rest of the video and listening to the topics you touched on as well!

It looks so satisfying to see you and other go on pointe

I really loved listening to you in this video, as well as watching your point shoe tips in action. I really appreciate your social consciousness and awareness as well as your calm and intelligent delivery of your points and the fact that it’s also somewhat lighthearted. Yes these issues are very important but life still needs to happen right?

One thing that really helped me when I was really going through she was like water at the very end of my career when I could go through a pair every day because my artistic directors were insisting that I use only Freeds because they looked the best on my feet, is that I figured out how to find a needle for my sewing machine that was strong enough to be able to go through all the layers of fabric and satin so that I could bang some out fast enough for rehearsals and then I would just custom hand sew what I needed for performance.

Isabella, you are my idol! I absolutely love your videos! You are such an amazing dancer! I met you in a meet n greet here on Long Island! I can’t wait for ABT to open up again and come and see you and all the wonderful dancers! Thank you!! ❤️❤️❤️🩰🩰🩰 I also got my 5th pair of pointe shoes recently!

Thank you for speaking to the sustainability of packaging. ♥️

This is my new favorite video

Love the quality and format of this video. I thought that it was a Insider video.

Hello Isabella, your video was so interesting, I really like to see how other dancers prepare their pointe shoes and so learn different techniques to find the one who’ll work for me🥰 Your videos are so nice, you’d do more😋 xx

You are lovely woman and a beautiful dancer. ABT should be proud to have you. Your channel is great - it feels like a person sincerely talking honestly as your pure self versus some of your colleagues who feel rehearsed on a RU-vid channel. Thank you for your tips - younger viewers can learn a lot from you. Can't wait to see you live on stage again soon! Stay safe and healthy!

I am super lazy whenever it comes to sewing my pointe shoes and this video somehow helped me get the motivation to sew my pointe shoes... thank you!

Hi Isabella! You are my idol. I really want to be a professional dancer as you. I'm really happy you are making this videos to support younger dancers and inspiring other. I really love you!

Interesting video! It was always a dream to dance on pointe !

You are such an inspiration to me! You dance SO beautifully, and your balance is INCREDIBLE. Could you please do a video of the exercises you do to improve balancing? Thank you so much💕

Cute dress!! Fun to see how you do yours :)

No no no nooo!!!! It's the 15th time I watch this and I still can't believe you don't wear any padding!!😲🤪 You're so brave and strong!!! Congratulations!!!

I would love to see the Trocaderos prepping their shoes though. Love that you have a channel!

A truly elegant dancer and human. And thank you for your consciousness of equity and environmental issues

Thank you so much for sharing !!💗💗💗💗💗💗

Very entertaining and super informative.💪🏼

Recently got fitted in Bloch Balance Lisse! Loving them so much so far! I’ve heard they’re pretty close to Balance European which is exciting 😊 I do very similar modifications to my shoes with the addition of a ton of jet glue in the box and the wings. Super interested in trying the one satin and one stretchy ribbon!

I literally got fitted for my pointe shoes the day you posted this, so thanks for sharing your routine. Get Cindy on to talk about his relationship with pointe shoes -- he's one of the dancers I looked to when I decided to go en pointe as a man and I'd love to hear how he went from botching your ribbons to having his own!

I really appreciate how you speak about inclusivity both here and ig. You are beautiful to watch and listen to.

What you said about being frustrated with companies hiring random people to depict your profession... I FEEL THIS IS MY SOUL. I am a musician and watching commercials with a terrible opera singer or a conductor conducting music very incorrectly drives me up a wall. How hard is it to hire someone who can accurately depict what you’re wanting to show?

I just got my pointe shoes last Friday and me and my class are sewing them together in class on Wednesday I am soooo exited

That was interesting!!! As a non-dancer it's fascinating to see what all goes into it

I love all your dancing, you have such a plaesant personality, and your joy of dancing con=mes across on stage, Bravo

I have met Isabella, and I can confirm that she is just as humble and sweet as she seems in this video. P.S. Hi from your home town

hi isabella, you are one of my all time favorite dancers 💗 you are sooooo amazing and I hope to be like you one day 😘😘😘🤞🏻 keep on dancing and inspiring 🩰✨

so cool bella! i look up to uou so so much💜💜 hopefully i can be whwre you are one day!

I just got my first pair 😬 Took a lot of sewing tips from u xx

I love that you are wearing press on nails! I love your dancing! Please keep the videos coming! :)

What stunning feet and ankles you have!

Sewing pointe shoes aren't great, but I also use that time to listen to an audiobook or watch a movie because the sewing process for me doesn't require that much attention. Sometimes I will call family members and sew my shoes.

Damn her legs look so moisturised and radiant!!! Gorgeous!!!

Actually, Ms. Boylston, more and more ballet boys are going on point every day! In fact, The Point Shop recently did a feature on a male dancer who was on point, and not as a joke. Of course, all of this is eclipsed by the general public's fascination, and sometimes fetishization of women on point, that you referenced. I remember reading in a history book decades ago, about the great romantic ballerina Marie Taglioni auctioning off a pair of her slippers to a group of wealthy men. Supposedly they cooked, then ate the slippers! There is also a company in Russia that makes a toe shoe for men, called the Nureyev. Cheers!

So interesting, thank you for sharing 🥰

Omg her arch!

Can we appreciate how this has zeros thumbs down

I’m so glad it isn’t just me! That has happened to me before in a performance where the heel of the shoe slips off. It was really frustrating. I use a little hairspray where i tie my ribbons and on the heel of the tights or shoe.

Thank you for sharing your pointshoe sewing ritual! Will you also kindly share which style in Bloch are you wearing? Also what other pointshoes brand you tried in the past? ..etc?

I have nightmares of being in really dead shoes during a performance and really struggling on stage. 😂🤣

I’m 15 and I haven’t started on pointe. I was going to start this year but quarantine ☹️☹️

Hi Isabelle, thank you for this video 😊❤️ I've been using Bloch pointe shoes too for many years. It's not a customade as we don't have Bloch store or a professional ballet company in Indonesia. I'm just wondering if you have any tips for my Bloch pointe shoes? It feels so comfortable to dance en pointe with the shoes, but when it comes to adagio it's really wobbly. I feels like the shank around metatarsal to my toes is really thick. So when I stand flat with the shoes it feels like the front part is thicker and it pushes my weight to my heels. Any tips for make it better? Thanks a lot in advanced ❤️

I love your videos you are the best ❤️❤️😘😍😍😍😍😍💋

Hi Isabella! Love your videos so much, I was wondering whether or why you don't glue a (suede) cap to the tip of the pointe shoe?

Thank you so much for this video! I love your commentary for the many reasons already noted in the comments. I see no darning- I guess it doesn't really make a big difference, since you are such an amazing dancer. Have you ever tried it?

i love your dress and style :)

Hi Isabella! I’m wondering if you have any tips for strengthening your toes to be able to pointe all the way through the box as you do so beautifully..? I have a similar arch to yours but not very long toes and I struggle with this especially in jumps and as my shoes die. Thank you! :)

Would you recommend sewing the elastic ribbon on the outside (pinky toe) side of shoe or the inside (big toe side) of the shoe? And same for the regular ribbon? I know the two different types of ribbon have varying amounts of support and I just want to ensure that the pointe shoe still fits my foot right and doesn’t twist or make it look like my foot is sickling :)

Where in the world did you get that dress?? It's stunning!

lol I thought using floss was something weird just I did. I never had many sewing supplies when I danced so I just used floss.

Where did you get your dress? I love it! ☺️

The way you sew your shoes totally blew my mind 🤯 the way I sew mine takes like 4 hours 😖

I'm new to pointe and doing pre-pointe, I don't have any toe pads. Also I'm in my third year of ballet.

Thank you

Could you tell cindy how he prepare his pointeshoes?🥺😍❤️

Ok but how tf do you dance without padding and still have such perfect feet??? I'm in awe

💙💙💙

Can you make a video on giving advice to upcoming dancers?

Omg yaazzzz Kendell Jenner shade

There are devices to help thread needles, available at your local fabric stores or on Amazon ( might be more $$$), so do some comparison shopping