Presentation Title
Engineering a Better Pointe Shoe
Document Type
Poster Session
Department
Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Asheesh Lanba, PhD
Abstract
Modern pointe shoes have exhibited little variation since their creation in the late 18th century. Despite all of the technology that has been developed since then, pointe shoes remain ephemeral, the primary materials being a specialized paste, compressed cardboard, paper, and satin. This brevity of life causes them to be expensive, can lead to injuries, and limits the dancer’s ability. Although there are several modernized pointe shoe models, the oldest manufacturer still dominates the market. This project aims to create a better pointe shoe by simulating a more robust construction and exploring multiple materials for pointe shoe components.
Open Access?
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Engineering a Better Pointe Shoe
Modern pointe shoes have exhibited little variation since their creation in the late 18th century. Despite all of the technology that has been developed since then, pointe shoes remain ephemeral, the primary materials being a specialized paste, compressed cardboard, paper, and satin. This brevity of life causes them to be expensive, can lead to injuries, and limits the dancer’s ability. Although there are several modernized pointe shoe models, the oldest manufacturer still dominates the market. This project aims to create a better pointe shoe by simulating a more robust construction and exploring multiple materials for pointe shoe components.
