Sewing Elastic on Your Shoes

Technically, a great fitting shoe should need no elastic. The problem is, few of us have two feet exactly the same or the luxury of having custom pointe shoes made. Most people opt to sew on some elastic if for no other reason than to prevent an untied shoe from flying off into the audience! Here are a few options for elastic placement:

• If your shoes fit well but you simply want some added security, sew one strip of elastic across the arch of your foot as you would for a single strap of elastic on a ballet slipper. (See photo)
• If your shoe tends to slip off your heel at times, sew two strips of elastic on either side of the back seam and then cross the two pieces to make an "X" over your foot. The other ends are then sewn to the inside of the shoe close to the waist seam.
• Another option is to sew on one piece of elastic and create a loop by securing one end to one side of the back seam and the other end to the other side of the back seam.

Note: If you have narrow heels you can sew the elastic to the inside of the back of your shoe on either side of the back seam; however, you never want the elastic to rub against your Achilles tendon. Unless it's a little roomy around your heel, it's recommended that you sew the elastic to the outside of the shoe.