tired feet from pointe shoes!

At the SFB school they do EVERYTHING en pointe.  The schedule isn't overly intense, but I feel like the technique classes en pointe make it really hard!

Some girls here only use paper towels in their pointe shoes to protect their toes, or nothing at all.  They are so hard core! I always have to wear toe pads and my feel still hurt! I swear by lambs wool toepads- I think they are amazing because they are comfortable but thin enough you can still feel your feet working through the floor.  And I also dedicated to masking tape.  I am convinced masking tape is better at protecting toes from blisters than any other medical tape or fancy cushions.

Its funny to see what people do at the end of a long day to relax.  I like to stick my toes on an ice pack some nights because I feel like they get so swollen! Some of my friends fill their empty trash cans up with ice from the cafeteria and soak their feet in ice water.  Epsom salt is really popular too...

One of my favorite things to do after ballet class is to roll out my calves with a pinkie ball or a tennis ball.  They get so tight from wearing pointe shoes all day!

In spite of my constant complaining throughout the day about how much my feet hurt, the long hours of pointe is my favorite part about the SFB intensive.  I think that pointe is more enjoyable than wearing flat shoes, and I hope that it will make my feet stronger!