How to make ballet shoes less slippery

Ballet dance needs enough slippery in ballet shoes. It helps you can spin, slide and turn as much as you want for a perfect performance. 

But too slippery can cause your dancing. If the ballet shoes are so slippery, you will be uneasy and distracted on the dance floor. Your dance performance will not be as good as you wanted. In the worst circumstances, you can slip while dancing. And get injured. 

So you need to know how to make ballet shoes less slippery. By knowing these processes, you can control the slipperiness of ballet shoes. You will feel more comfortable with your ballet shoes. As a result, you will be able to do a perfect performance.

15 methods to make ballet shoes less slippery 

Plenty of methods are available out there. Here are the top 15 methods for you.

Rosin

Rosin is vastly used to increase traction and grip against the floor. These rosins are usually pine trees’ resin. To use rosin- 

• First, you need to purchase powdered rosin. 
• Take a quarter-size proportion of rosin. 
• Squirt them on the floor. 
• If there are any chunks or rosin, break them with your heels. 
• Don’t give much pressure. 

And this process will help you to get enough friction against the floor that your ballet shoes will be less slippery.

Using of Paper towel

Paper towels can be used to replace rosin if rosin is not available or prohibited. 

• Start the process by wetting a sturdy paper towel. 
• Squeeze the paper towel perfectly by twisting it to avoid excess water.
• Then step on the paper towel when wearing the ballet shoes. 
• Dump the power towel appropriately to your shoe soles. 
• Clean the place faultlessly so that no paddle is left over.

Scoring

Scoring is also an option to make ballet shoes less slippery. This process is beneficial for you if you are wearing pointe shoes.

To do this process 

• First, you need to scrape the underside of your shoes. 
• Make some teeny grooves.
• You can use a cheese grater, fork, or a box cutter.
• You also use a razor bleed to cut the satin tip of the platform. 

These tiny grooves will help make your shoes less slippery by creating more friction than before.

Using of sandpaper 

Using sandpaper can make your ballet shoes less slippery. To do it, 

• You need to rub the shoe sole. 
• Then check if there is any polished part left over. 
• Rub it until it doesn’t develop a texture. 
• You shouldn’t put much pressure, or it can damage your ballet shoes. 
• If there is enough tension on the sole, your shoe is ready to wear.

Using non-slip spray 

You can use the non-slip sprays to make the ballet shoes less slippery. 

• First, you need to spray a large proportion of non-slip spray to the footing of the shoes. 
• Put the shoe in an upside-down way so that the spray can dry adequately.
• Don’t use an unusual color of spray that doesn’t match your shoe color.
• Use an old towel or newspaper to protect the dancing place or spraying area. 
• Protect your skin and eye perfectly so that the spray doesn’t hamper your body.

Hair spray 

Hair spray can be a temporary solution to the extra slipperiness of your ballet shoes if you don’t have non-slip spray. 

• Spray a tiny portion of your hair spray to the heels so that you can check if it is sticky enough or not. 
• If the stickiness is precise, spray for about 10-15 seconds.
• Put the sole in an upside-down position to dry it. 
• As the hair spray doesn’t last long so use the process every time you wear your ballet shoes.

Wear your shoes

When a new shoe is bought, it comes with very slippery soles. 

• So wearing the shoes in your house a couple of times before wearing them for dance can make it less slippery. 
• You can rub the sole on your house’s floor so that it becomes less slippery.

Last update on 2022-11-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Nail file

If the sandpaper is not available, you can use nail files. 

• Scrub the nail file with the lower side of your shoe until it produces some traction. 
• Don’t overdo or it can hamper your ballet shoe sole.
• Test after scrubbing for some time if it is enough fraction or not.

Using Salt and glue 

This process is jaw-dropping, but it works well. 

• First, take glue in a bottle sip. 
• Then grind the salt in such a way that it looks like sand. 
• Pour the powdered salt into the glue. 
• Mix them properly. 
• Then take a small portion of the mixture and apply it to the bottom side of the ballet shoes. 
• Keep it upside down so that the mixture can dry and attach perfectly to the sole.

This process will give enough friction to the lower side of the ballet shoes for dancing.

Purchase Grip Pad 

Using a grip pad is a temporary solution to make your ballet shoes less slippery. Older shoe’ soles get damaged after using them for a long time. It causes extra slippery. A grip pad can help you with this problem. 

• Buy the grip pad from your local shops. 
• Attach it to your ballet shoes’ soles. 
• Test by performing some dance moves if it is attached perfectly or not.

Coke on the sole

If there is a coke bottle nearby, you can use the coke to make your ballet shoes less slippery. 

• First, pour some coke and water in a sip of a bottle. 
• Mix it properly. 
• Grab some cotton balls.
• Use the cotton balls to plunge them into the combination.
• Mop them on your ballet shoes soles. 
• If your ballet shoes’ soles are not saturating enough mixture, you can use a sponge.

Using a wire brush

You can use a wire brush to make your ballet shoes less slippery. 

• First, you have to wash the ballet shoes appropriately.
• Then dry perfectly so that no water remains.
• Use the wire brush on the bottom surface of the ballet shoes.
• Don’t overdo the process or it will damage your shoe soles.  
• If you use a washing machine to wash the ballet shoe, you have to run the washing machine on a warmer cycle.
• Buying bigger ballet shoes is recommended in this process as ballet shoes shrink when they are washed on a warmer cycle.

Applying Dish Detergent

Applying detergent is also a process to make the ballet shoes less slippery.

• You have to apply the dish detergent on the bottom side of the ballet shoes.
• Then you have to rub it.
• You have to keep the shoes for some moments, so the detergents dry perfectly. 
• After the detergents dry faultlessly, scrub them so that all the residue gets removed. 
• Now you have to wash the ballet shoe.

And the process is done.

Rubbing on concrete

It is a quick fix to make your ballet shoes less slippery

• First, wear your shoes.
• Then rub the shoes on the uneven surfaces of the concrete.
• Check if the slippery slope is ok for you or not. 
• If it is still slippery, redo the process again a couple of times.

Going to a cobbler 

If your shoe is so expensive or none of the upper points help you to make your shoes less slippery, you can consider going to a clobber to fix the slipperiness of the shoes. 

• They can Stretch your shoe as much as you want. 
• Or change the size of the shoe to smaller. 
• Or do critical processes to repair the shoes. 

Their processes require some money, but they can deliver the best solution to make your ballet shoes less slippery.

Conclusion 

Ballet dancing needs proper concentration. There shouldn’t be any kind of distress that can harm your attention. And too much slipping on your shoes is one of the significant distresses while you are ballet dancing. It is so dangerous that you can get injured. 

So you should know how to make your ballet shoes less slippery. Enough slipperiness in your shoes will give you more lightness while dancing, and you will be able to accomplish flawless dance steps. So you can enjoy ballet dancing more.