The Process

1. The sole of the shoe is tacked onto a last

2. Then the upper (the base of the shoe turned inside out) is pulled over the last

3. The front part is pulled over and temporarily pinned down and then two tacks are put in the back

4. The box of the shoe gets built up by using layers of paste, burlap, and paper

5. Pleats are created and then string is put around the front of the pleats to hold them down when stitching the shoe begins

6. The shoe is stitched, tacks are removed, and the frayed material is cut off

7. The shoe is turned right side out and put on a turning stick to move around the layers of paste and fabric inside. After the shoe is ready to go back on the last

8. The shoe is hammered to shape the box

9. After the shoe is hammered the first time, it’s taken off of the last and the inner sole is glued inside

10. The shoe is then hammered a second time on the last and gets shaped even more

11. At this point, the shoe is put in a drying oven for three weeks in order for the glue to cure

12. Once the shoe is dry, marks on the vamp and heel show where to cut around the opening which widens the opening for the dancer’s foot

13. The shoe is almost completed, but the last step is to sew the binding and drawstring on

14. After all of these steps are completed, the shoe is now ready to go out into the world and find its home with ballet dancer