Shoe, ballet shoe

A pair of Anna Pavlova's unworn ballet shoes made in the traditional pink silk slipper satin by the company La Mandola of New York. the shoes have been prepared for wear, probably by the dancer herself as is customary. This involves attaching the ribbons for the precise placement to keep the shoe on the foot, and darning the toe of the shoe for support and grip.

Pavlova is credited with helping create the modern pointe shoe. Her tapered, very curved feet made it hard to dance on her toes. She added a leather or wood piece on the soles, and formed the fabric round the toes into a flatter, stiffer box shape. The shoes supported Pavlova's weight and made it easier to dance and stay elevated. Her contemporaries considered this cheating, as a ballerina and not her shoes was expected to support herself. However, Pavlova considered the extra bulk added to her shoes unsightly, and had photographs of herself en pointe retouched to show an improbably tapered toeline.

These unworn pointe shoes made by La Mendola, New York are believed to have belonged to Anna Pavlova. Pavlova was notoriously fussy about her pointe shoes preferring shoes made in Milan by Romeo Nicolini. When Nicolini’s shoes were unavailable Pavlova would be forced to try other makers. These shoes most likely date from the early 1920s.

Notes by Caroline Hamilton