This section of Damhsóir features articles written for us by Hullachan designer Craig Coussins on protecting your feet, toes, arches and heels.

Dance Injury & Prevention: The Toes
by Craig Coussins

Craig Coussins started training as a dancer in his mother’s school in the West of Scotland well over 50 years ago. He started fitting and designing shoes made by the UK’s oldest dance shoemakers 30 years ago and has designed many award winning sports and dance shoes. He retired in 1995 to develop shoes closer to his Celtic roots, including shoes for Irish and Highland dancers.

Irish Dancers may use their hard shoes to stand on their toes but this is not the only kind of dance where the dancer goes on to the tips of their toes.

In the ballet world, teachers are now very aware of the stresses their charges have to bear when training for pointe work. Pointes are shoes that support the dancer on their toes. Many years ago in the middle of the 18th century, dancers were looking for ways to increase the line of their legs while on stage. The highest position in the early part of the 18th century was the demi pointe, which is the where you stand on the ball of the foot.

As ballet progressed, new movements were required. A dancer would show her elegance by pointing her toe, holding that position then standing on the ball of her foot as she stepped forward. The natural progression from this was to stand on the toe from that pointed foot. The trouble is toes are not anatomically made for standing on. Many dancers from this period seriously hurt their feet, by pushing joints out, tearing tendons, rupturing blood vessels, breaking toes and causing permanent damage. Young dancers could be crippled for life if they went up on their toes too early, as the long-term damage without proper support could be serious.

Spinning, or pirouettes were always crowd pleasers and one famous Italian dancer in the mid 19th century, known for her multiple spins, had a new type of shoe designed in Italy that raised her onto her toes. Made of layers of canvas, flour and glue, this shoe was supportive and did not collapse too quickly. This was very important as the dancer needed to feel safe and confident during her dance. This was the birth of the Pointe Shoe.

During the early 1970’s, ballet teachers realized that damage was being caused by forcing children up on their toes too early. Children could easily stand on their toes using the pointe shoes, but what was not realized was that the strain of standing on toes, even with a supportive shoe, meant the knees and hip joints were being seriously put at risk.

What was not fully understood prior to this period was that the bones on young bodies were not fully developed below the age of 12 and the joints could still be soft. Bone hardens from the centre and standing on toes would of course damage the joints.

If the bones were not fully formed the strain would have to be taken on the knees which in turn were not fully formed either. Even with special shoes that supported the foot, ballet teachers started to realize that long-term damage could happen to their young students.

Today, the age of 12 or 13 is the suggested minimum age, but only after the bones have firmed up, the dancer is fully trained, the arch has been developed through correct exercise, they have learned to ‘Pull Up’ correctly and their muscles strong enough.

Ballet dancers are never allowed up on pointe in their soft shoes, as these have no support and of course would damage the young bones and joints.

The ballet dancers of today now have a range of different shoes made from high tech materials, some designed by me that will support them safely while allowing a full range of movement without causing damage to the joints and rest of the foot.

The articles on this website have been written by Craig Coussins and edited for the web by Damhsóir. Questions regarding article content should be directed to Mr. Coussins or visit or Hullachan Pro.com .

Advice given here is just that -- advice. If you are suffering from an Irish dance injury, please see your doctor for treatment.

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