Ballet dancers wear different types of shoes depending on their level: Beginning and intermediate dancers wear soft slippers, and advanced dancers wear toe shoes or pointe shoes. Ballet slippers can be made of leather, satin or canvas. Canvas and satin shoes hold their original shape, and leather shoes shape themselves to the dancer's foot with use. The sole of a ballet slipper is usually made of suede and either runs the entire length of the shoe (full sole) or only covers the ball and heel of the foot (split sole).
Pointe shoes have a much more complicated composition, including both stiff parts and flexible parts. The stiff parts of a pointe shoe are the box, which is the entire toe area of the shoe; the platform, which is the flat, hard tip of the toes on which the dancer balances; and the shank, which is made of leatherboard and stiffens the arch of the shoe. Shanks are available in various degrees of stiffness and flexibility. The side quarters of the shoe are flexible satin panels that cover the sides of the foot. The sole of the shoe is made of scuffed or buffed leather, which gives the dancer extra traction. The drawstring around the top of the shoe and the satin ribbons attached to it are used to hold it to the dancer's foot and leg.
Tap shoes are available in several styles. The body of the shoe is usually leather but may be made of synthetic materials; it is sometimes stiffer and sometimes more flexible, sometimes patent and sometimes matte. The sole of the shoe has metal plates attached to the heel and the toe; these plates can be held on with two, three or four screws depending on the particular sound the dancer wants. Taps are available as flats or as heels.
Ballroom dance shoes are commonly made in satin, leather or patent. Satin dance shoes are popular because they dye easily, but they don't have the same sturdiness or stretchiness as leather shoes. Leather shoes for ballroom dance are usually soft and malleable, and with some upkeep they last longer than satin ones. Patent shoes are popular for men, but they need to be lubricated to keep them from cracking, squeezing or sticking on each other as the wearer dances. The soles of ballroom dance shoes are made of suede, which allows the dancer to glide smoothly across a wooden dance floor.