The practice of ballet dancers dancing on their toes began to develop in the late 1700s. At this time there were no special shoes, and dancers balanced en pointe for several seconds wearing soft leather slippers.
Marie Taglioni, of Italy, is considered to be the first dancer to dance en pointe. Taglioni's pointe shoes were made of satin with hard leather soles. Eventually her shoes were darned on the sides to provide additional support, but the tips remained soft.
Pointe work was largely developed in Italy. Italian dancers were able to perform technically demanding feats en pointe because they were dancing in shoes that were stronger and harder than the shoes worn by other dancers.
Russian dancers lagged behind their Italian peers because they did not have the same access to cutting-edge pointe shoes.
Early pointe shoes were made of satin, leather, paper and glue. Current pointe shoes are constructed of similar materials. There is no wood involved in the process, which is contrary to popular belief.
There are many different makers of pointe shoes, each making shoes that appeal to certain dancers. The shapes and materials of pointe shoes are often secrets that are closely guarded by their makers. Finding the ideal shoe is often a process that takes dancers years to achieve. Today's manufacturers are experimenting with new materials to improve the lifespan and performance of pointe shoes.