Making pointe shoes is a complex process and must be done by hand. The block of a pair of pointe shoes, which is the flat part that ballet dancers stand on, is made of paper mache hardened so it is stiff enough to be stood on. The soles of the shoes is made from a fairly sturdy thin piece of suede. The outer part of the pointe shoes is made of satin. Dancer themselves sew on the elastic bands for the shoes as well as sew and cut the satin ribbons to be tied tightly in the desired way.
No pair of pointe shoes is exactly the same. Dancers may find that a certain maker of pointe shoes is a better fit for their type of foot. Shoes are worn either untill they become to small or have been made to soft by frequent wear and no longer support the dancer. A professional dancer can go through several pairs in one performance. Pointe shoes are fairly expensive and can cost over one hundred dollars.