Mr. Ollivander's -- The Ballet Shoe Version

BUYING BALLET SHOES IS A NIGHTMARE. Even though I'm in the Chicagoland area, I cannot find any place to fit me for shoes. When I was little, there was a store I went to to get my shoes fitted, but when I went there, it was gone--some knickknack store was in its place. The only brand I know is Capezio's since my dance team shoes were from that brand. So I checked their site, and.....their site's down. More specifically, their shopping cart is down and it's been down for quite some time.

I need new shoes because, guess what, I signed up for adult classes at my local park district! There are only three classes, but it is by far the cheapest price for classes (about $15/class) and it's the only thing my college-bound ass can afford. This means I'll have to get a job to pay for these. Wish me luck finding one.

Anyway, back to the shoe problem. I order some Capezio canvas shoes off Amazon for about $15. That didn't sound too bad. I ordered them as the description said, by my street shoe size. So I order 7M and wait as patiently as possible for my shoes to arrive. At last, they come. I try them on and...they're tight. Way, way too tight. I frowned a little but decided there must be a way to break them in. After all, this is my size...right?

My canvas shoes. Look at that lipgloss stain on the elastic!

  I sew on the elastic straps to see if that helps (it doesn't). In the process, I get lipgloss on it and therefore can't return the product. I tried stretching the shoes with ice. No avail. I cannot even spread my toes in these puppies.

That little bump in the middle is my toe bending. Waaaay too tight.

 
So, finally defeated, I decided to buy another shoe a whole size up after reading a dozen reviews and rediscovering this video: Ballet Shoes: How to Find the Perfect Ballet Shoe for Your Feet .

The next shoes I bought were twenty-dollar, leather shoes. I bought a size 8 this time in hopes that my toes wouldn't curl up at the tip. I put them on and...they're a bit too big. UGH.

Leather shoes

 
They bunched around the side and there was a little space by my heel. It didn't fit me like a glove like the video said it should be. This would be so much easier if I had a dance store or some place to go! I tried tightening the drawstrings, and though it caused the leather to bunch a bit at the sides, they fit me much better. Now they feel pretty snug.

Already I like the leather much better than the canvas. Since my first class was coming up, I didn't have time to trade in for a half-size lower to see if they were better, so I must use these. I figure I can ask my teacher if they are too loose for dancing.