Both girls and boys might be required to wear ballet socks for classes and exams as part of the dance uniform, sometimes even from beginner levels right up to professional levels. Male ballet socks are usually colour coordinated with their pants, while female ballet socks tend to be plain of neutral tones. Black or white ballet socks are often part of a girl’s uniforms, while boys often wear white or black ballet socks. As well as being a form of protection for the feet and ankles, ballet socks can be worn as a fashion statement, with patterns and colours often featuring in both girls and boys’ dance classes. For example, some pairs of girl’s ballet socks may feature a floral pattern, while boys’ ballet socks will more often than not be simple black or white units.
Of course, ballet dancers do not just wear socks for practical reasons; they also wear accessories such as ballet shoes. The ideal ballet shoe is one which supports the foot and prevents it from bending too much when being bulletined. Ballet shoes differ in size from other footwear, but all are designed to provide optimum support to the ballerinas feet as they move. Some ballet shoes come with a full sole, which helps prevent the ballerina’s feet from slipping around inside them, while others have a semi-curved sole to help prevent the foot from rolling over on the ballerina during dancing. Wearing the proper shoes is essential to avoid injury, which is why dancers often wear extra protective shoes, such as canvas shoes, in order to ensure that their feet remain in good condition.
In addition to wearing ballet socks to help prevent injury, there are many other reasons why dancers choose to wear this versatile dancewear. For example, some forms of ballet, such as modern, contemporary and breakcore dance, require the dancer to perform without a shoe. This means that ballet socks can be an extremely useful addition to your dance wardrobe. In fact, if you choose to learn a new dance style, it may be a good idea to purchase some ballet socks in order to get your feet into the routine as early as possible.