By: PS4Y
Oh, the "dye" humor runneth over, fellow dancers....In writing this article, you wouldn't believe some of the head-scratching and puzzling puns/stories/nightmares/suggestions I've heard. Some are just plain idiotic and others had me wondering, "what if....?"
The experiment list piled up and so did my dirty laundry hamper. Full of stained shirts. Some were quite messy. Then again, I'm not a very neat person when it comes to creating. In any case, PS4Y now has a list of products you can use to modify the color of your pointes.
But first, let us pretend. Let us pretend that you must have a pair of red pointe shoes. Now let us pretend that you did not read the directions on the box of the fabric dye OR that you did not do a spot test first. Do you see the nightmare forming, girls and boys?
And where does this nightmare end up? With you in a pair of MAROON pointe shoes and YOU wanting to die when you stand out so horribly in front of hundreds of people. It doesn't end there. Afterward, if they still have some life in them, what do you do with them? When will you ever get to wear maroon shoes again? Personally, I smell a great EBay deal just waiting for me to snatch them up! Pointe shoes are expensive and if you don't have an extra pair laying around for you to master your dying technique on, your wallet will be screaming at you. So let's look at some money saving and smart ways to get it right the first time.
There are two choices you have to make when required to wear a pointe shoe with a color other than the one you bought them in.
1. Can I special order it in the color I need or will it be easier and/or cheaper to do it myself?
2. What dying method or product is my class using?
Conformity is the rule when dying pointe shoes. If you're the only one with shiny shoes and everyone else has matte, you're going to stand out in a bad way. Ask you teacher and classmates what they plan on doing.
The thing to remember with all of these products is that "less water the better." Even high-tech pointes like GM, Sansha, and Gamba get damaged when soaked in water. So use products with as little water as possible to create the color you need.
Before we discuss the various products and methods available, let's get to the nitty-gritty of stupidity, shall we? Remember the "red" and "maroon" example I gave above? Don't be that idiot. You should always test the dye you plan to use on an old pair of pointes or even ribbon of the same color. And let it dry completely before you start on the good pair of performance shoes. Some dyes will look darker or lighter before they dry. It's always best to be safe than sorry and let the test fabric dry completely first for comparison. There. That's my disclaimer. NOW let's talk about products!
Conventional
Evangeline or Rit:
These and other generic brands of fabric dyes are considered conventional because it's what they're made for. Go ahead and read their box labels, "Use on cloth." See? Conventional. Brides and bridesmaids have been using Evangeline on their stain high heels for decades. Pointe shoes have satin. Therefore these dyes are recommended specifically for a project such as dying pointe shoes. Because the powder of these products is so fine and concentrated in pigment, they dissolve fairly easily in a small amount of water, although for Rit you should use rubbing alcohol instead. You should only have to use a small pinch or two of the powder itself. Use a sponge brush to evenly apply the dye solution to your shoes. Ribbons are easier to dye if you do them before you sew them on. Just lay them flat and brush it on. One benefit of this conventional dye method is that the original sheen of the satin is kept intact through the dye process. Helpful hint: mix the dye in a reclosable plastic container. You can save the dye you've made and wait for the test fabric to dry. Then if it's not the shade you need you can easily manipulate the dye until you achieve the perfect color, and maybe save the remainder for a back-up pair.
Matte Options:
These are in-between Conventional and Unconventional in some respects. For one, the products are not ones you'd likely find in any dance or footwear store but a couple of them have been used so long in the dance industry they they're practically the all-purpose Holy Grail of ballet.
Max Factor Pancake Makeup:
The most common shade to use on pointes is the #1. It's almost stark white and puts a perfect matte finish over the satin. Simply dampen the sponge included and wring out excess water. Smear some of the makeup onto the sponge and apply evenly all over your shoes and ribbons. Let dry.
Calamine Lotion:
If someone in the company who makes this product would listen up and make it in white or a clear gel, I think dancers would use it more than they do. As it is today the most common users of calamine on their pointes are the Europeans. Considering the thick, bubble gum shade of pink that it stays after being slathered on, it's appeal is a mystery. But some dancers will still swear it's the best thing in the world, so who am I to argue? Most dancers that use it do so straight from the bottle and use a medium sized brush, a makeup sponge, or their fingers to apply it. Another way to use it is to thin it out with water before applying with a sponge, and then in only one or two thin layers so you're getting the matte effect without the neon pink.
Pysician's Formula Gel Blush:
This is a color and matte option. If you love pink, here's your product! Pick any shade you like best. It comes in a jar in any drugstore makeup section and although it's a translucent gel, it dries with a slightly matte finish.
Unconventional
Some unconventional methods dancers use are easier than the normal liquid dyes that are so common. Here are the ones that work best.
Spray paint:
There are matte and shiny options so be careful to read the label. Krylon latex is the best, though any brand will do as long as it contains a large amount of latex. Stuff your shoes with newspaper and spray on thin coats. Use a spoon or some other object to smooth down the "hairs" of the satin after each light coat. Put masking tape on the outer sole to protect it. Spray paint can make them slippery.
Magic Markers:
There are so many colors available in pens and markers today it's great. Even glitter and metallic. Just take the cap off and start coloring.
Acrylic paints:
If you have to mix two or more colors to get the shade you want there is obviously a much larger chance you're going to make a mistake. This is when a group-dye-meeting would be a good idea.
House paint:
If you have a sample (or even the costume itself) with you of the color you need, take it to a paint specialist. They can mix up any amount you want. One quart of paint can do a lot of shoes. As with spray paint, light coats work best. And if you know someone who owns an airbrush or you can invest in one(look in the toy model section of a department store) yourself, it would be a time saver and eliminate any streaks.
Methods That Don't Work
Trust me when I tell you that these are some of the most useless suggestions I've ever gotten. Hey, just 'cause I try everything doesn't mean it can all work, right?
Kool-Aid:
Yeah, that same stuff we all drank by the gallon when we were five years old. The one and only. It may be a great summertime drink and fun to make popsicles with, but it sucks as a shoe dye! In order to concentrate the crystals down to a consistency that would work on satin, you're left with a puddle of grit. Put that gritty sludge on your shoes and when it dries you are left with one pair of funkadelic foot covers you wouldn't be caught dead wearing. The crystals dry and make weird patterns. And besides what they look like -how 'bout your poor feet?! After ten minutes of class your toes will smell sugary sweet but look like you need to soak them in bleach.
Food Dye:
Or "vegetable coloring" as a more prickly natured chef might correct me. It doesn't work because it isn't concentrated enough. Better than Kool-Aid though.
Oil Paints:
I highly recommend this if you wish to paint lovely Monet water lilies on your pointes. But keep them at home. Great for decorating but bad for practical class and performance use. It's too slippery. Oil bad-latex good. Rosin will stick to latex. Nothing sticks to oil.
Shoe Polish:
I sincerely wish to strangle the person who suggested trying this. But stupid me just had to give it a chance. And let me tell you, folks, that if you want a good laugh you should try it yourself. Putting shoe polish on your pointes is the #1 way to ruin your tights and mess up the finish on the floor. Leaving black streaks all over the place is hardly going to help you earn respect from your teacher but it's an excellent way to find yourself on your hands and knees scrubbing the floor after class.
Nail Polish:
Well, technically, it does work. But it just isn't economical to use. It works well but when you factor in the cost and how much it'd take to do one pair pointe pointes it's not such a good deal. Great color options though.
If you can think of any other unusual ways to dye pointes, submit your ideas to the Staff using the Contact Form. Mutilating pointe shoes is a necessary evil of research that is fun, fun, fun!
By: PS4Y Staff--Angel
Copyright 2002
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