How act’ble Is Reinventing the Ballet Pointe Shoe

Professional ballet dancers can go through hundreds of pairs of pointe shoes each year. Could 3D printing change that? German startup act’ble believes it can.

Ballet emerged in Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries, but Italian shoemakers only toughened the pointe shoe in the 19th century, and its basic construction has changed little since. Pointe shoes are still mostly handmade, with skilled makers layering fabric, paper, glue and satin around a shaped last to build the rigid toe box and supportive structure.

The design has lasted because of tradition, not because it works well. Dancers have to break in, pad and modify every pair. A professional’s shoes often last a single day before the shank softens. That makes pointe shoes one of ballet’s most expensive and least sustainable pieces of equipment. Unsurprisingly, chronic foot pain and injury are part of the deal.