I T IS SAID THAT THE BALLET TOE SHOE IS

one of the few instruments of torture that has survived intact to the present day. The toe, or pointe, shoe was first developed in 1832, and its introduction to ballet permitted ballerinas to rise on the tips of their toes and seemingly float across the stage (Kippen, 2004). In the early 1800s, Marie Taglioni broke all previous barriers of ballet by being the first ballerina to dance on her toes (Kippen, 2004). Toe dancing not only expanded the possibilities for ballet but, over time, became in itself an artistic expression. At the most basic level, the pointe shoe is a tool, a very specialized piece of work equipment equivalent to an astro-naut’s suit, a surgical instrument, or a command and control display. However, the pointe shoe – veiled by its association with beauty and art – has been completely overlooked by er-gonomists. Although lights, costumes, and staging of ballet