How to Repair Ballet Slippers

Supplies Needed

How to Repair Ballet Slippers

Most ballet slippers (not pointe shoes) have an elastic lace that runs around the upper edge of the shoe and ties in the front on top of the foot.  This round elastic lace is added so the shoe can be tightened around the dancer's foot.  Most experienced dancers will tie this elastic and either cut off the ends or tuck them inside the shoe after it is on their foot.  Unfortunately, if a tight square knot is not made before the ends are clipped, the knot may come untied and the elastic will slip back inside the casing.  Fortunately, this is fixable and your ballet slipper will be just fine. 

All that is needed to repair your shoe is a paperclip, strong thread, a fine needle, a stitch ripper and a bobby pin (we all know dancer's have bobby pins everywhere!).  Before beginning, use a pair of pliers and bend the ends of your bobby pin straight so they make a straight line. 



Next, feel along the elastic casing at the top of the slipper until you feel the end of the elastic.  Use your stitch ripper and remove just two or three stitches to open the casing and expose the elastic lace. 

Now, use your needle and thread (I prefer to use a heavy weight thread like hand quilting thread) and run a stitch through the round elastic about 1/4 inch from the end of the elastic. Tie a knot in the thread so it makes a loop. You will have a circle of thread hanging from the end of the elastic lace.

Next, slip your bobby pin through the loop in the thread and use the bobby pin as a "needle".

Now, guide your bobby pin through the remaining casing until it comes out the original opening for the elastic lace.

Once the bobby pin appears, gently pull it and the elastic lace through the casing and out through the original opening.  If only one side of the shoes elastic lace had disappeared into the casing, you can now tie a very tight square knot in the two ends of the lace.  If the other end of the lace is also inside the casing on the other side of the shoe, slip a paperclip through the circle of thread to prevent the lace from boinging back up inside the casing and repeat the above steps on the other side of the elastic lace.

Once the elastic lace is tightly tied and the shoe fits properly again, clip off the thread loops. 

Now, repair the hole you made in the casing when you opened it with a small amount of good quality fabric glue (I held the casing closed with a binder clip while the glue dried) and once the glue has dried, your shoe is ready to dance again. 

Happy dancing!