Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, BORN Dance Academy earns from qualifying purchases. Recommendations are Erin's own, and the price you pay is exactly the same.
If your dancer is starting ballet, you need one thing before the first class: a pair of slippers that meet your studio’s dress code. That sounds simple. It is where most parents go wrong.
Should ballet shoes be canvas or leather?
Ballet slippers come in canvas and in leather, and studios are usually specific about which they want. At BORN, ballet classes require pink canvas split-sole slippers.
This matters more than it sounds, because the best-selling ballet shoe on Amazon is leather. Search “ballet shoes for girls”, buy the top result, and there is a good chance you have bought the wrong shoe for your studio. Check your dress code first, every time.
The one that meets the dress code
A first pairVarious
Canvas Split-Sole Ballet Slipper with Drawstring
- Meets BORN dress code
- $
Erin says This is the one I point new ballet families to. Pink, canvas, split sole, which is exactly what our ballet classes ask for. The drawstring means you can snug it across the top of the foot without going up a length.
Sizing Canvas ballet slippers run about 1 to 1.5 sizes smaller than street shoes. The drawstring adjusts the fit but not the length, so measure rather than guess.
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The one most parents buy by mistake
There is nothing wrong with this shoe. It is well made and thousands of people are happy with it. It is simply leather, so it does not meet a canvas dress code, and it outranks the canvas versions in search, which is why it ends up in so many carts.
Popular, but check firstVarious
Soft Leather Split-Sole Ballet Slipper
- Check your dress code
- $
Erin says Nothing wrong with this shoe, and thousands of families are happy with it. It is leather, though, so it does not meet a canvas dress code. It sits at the top of the search results, which is why it ends up in so many carts by mistake. Check your studio requirement before you order this one.
Sizing Runs about 1.5 sizes smaller than street shoes.
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Full sole or split sole?
A full-sole slipper has one continuous sole and gives a young foot more resistance to push against. A split sole has a gap under the arch, which lets the foot point more visibly. Most studios have a preference, and many start the youngest dancers in full sole before moving to split. Follow the dress code rather than picking on looks.
What size ballet shoes does my child need?
This is where the returns come from. Ballet slippers run roughly one to one and a half sizes smaller than street shoes. A child in a size 12 street shoe is often in a 13 or 13.5 slipper.
The fit should be snug with the toes flat, not curled, and no bunching at the heel. The drawstring is for adjusting width across the top of the foot, not for taking up length. If you are cinching it hard to keep the shoe on, the shoe is too big.
Do not buy room to grow. A slipper that is too long slides under the foot and teaches bad habits, and it is the single most common fitting mistake.
If there is a dance shop near you that does fittings, use it for the first pair. Once you know how a given brand runs on your child’s foot, reordering online is straightforward.
What else does my child need for ballet class?
A leotard, dance top, fitted shorts or a dance skirt. No street clothes. Tights are required for recital but not for regular class. Hair pulled back off the face, and stud earrings only.