pointe shoe

noun

plural pointe shoes

: a usually satin-covered ballet shoe with a reinforced toe box (see toe box sense 2) and shank (see shank entry 1 sense 2h(1)) that enable the wearer to balance en pointe

The classic pink pointe shoe, which first appeared on the ballet stage in the 1830s, is constructed of leather, cardboard, layers of burlap and special paste, and it must be broken in before a professional dancer can take her first step in it.

—Cara S. Trager

Onstage, the ballerina is … balancing on the inch-wide platform of her pointe shoe.

—Kevin Conley

This rigorous dance style … causes pointe shoes to deteriorate quickly, meaning ballerinas must replace their shoes multiple times a month.

—Mya Trujillo

called also toe shoe

Word History

First Known Use

1939, in the meaning defined above