Ballet pointe shoe

A ballet pointe shoe for use by a ballet dancer, said ballet pointe shoe, comprising:

• (a) an insole;
• (b) an upper having a foot compartment and a throat by way of which a foot of the ballet dancer enters said foot compartment, said insole being disposed inside said foot compartment, said upper including a monolithic foot-supporting structure, said monolithic foot-supporting structure including (i) a toe box having a base, (ii) a shank body which extends longitudinally rearward from said base of said toe box, and (iii) a tunnel which penetrates said shank body and extends longitudinally through at least a portion of said shank body and into at least a portion of said base of said toe box, said tunnel having a mouth disposed on said shank body, said mouth of said tunnel being functionally accessible without deconstructing the ballet pointe shoe even partially;
• (c) an outsole disposed beneath said upper;
• and
• (d) a shank insert having a forward portion, at least said forward portion of said shank insert being removably and replaceably received in said tunnel when said shank insert is in an installed state in said tunnel, said shank insert being manually removable from the ballet pointe shoe by withdrawing at least said forward portion of said shank insert from said tunnel by way of said mouth and withdrawing said shank insert from the ballet pointe shoe by way of said throat of said upper.

A ballet pointe shoe for use by a ballet dancer, said ballet pointe shoe, comprising:

• (a) an upper which includes a monolithic foot-supporting structure, said monolithic foot-supporting structure including (i) a toe box having a base, (ii) a shank body which extends longitudinally rearward from said base of said toe box, and (iii) a tunnel which extends said shank body and extends longitudinally through at least a portion of said shank body and at least a portion of said base of said toe box, said tunnel having a mouth disposed on said shank body;
• (b) a shank insert having a forward portion, at least said forward portion of said shank insert being removably received in said tunnel when said shank insert is in an installed state in said tunnel, said shank insert being manually removable from said ballet pointe shoe by withdrawing at least said portion of said shank insert from said tunnel by way of said mouth, and withdrawing said shank insert from the ballet pointe shoe by way of said throat of said upper;
• and
• (c) an elastic loop mounted in said upper for continuously applying an elastic force between an instep portion of a foot of the ballet dancer and said shank body to continuously urge said shank body toward a sole of the foot of the ballet dancer during use of the ballet pointe shoe, said elastic loop having an upper portion which, during said use, overlies an instep portion of a foot of a ballet dancer, said elastic loop having a lower portion which is routed beneath said shank body.

A ballet pointe shoe for use by a ballet dancer, said ballet pointe shoe, comprising:

• (a) an upper having a foot compartment, an outer fabric, an inner liner, a throat by way of which a foot of the ballet dancer enters said foot compartment of said upper, and a monolithic foot-supporting structure;
• said outer fabric and said inner liner being joined to one another along a throat seam which runs peripherally of said throat, said monolithic foot-supporting structure including (i) a toe box having a base, (ii) a shank body which extends longitudinally rearward from said base of said toe box, and (iii) a tunnel which extends longitudinally through at least a portion of said shank body, said tunnel having a mouth disposed on said shank body, said mouth of said tunnel being accessible by way of said throat;
• and
• (b) a shank insert, at least a portion of said shank insert being removably received in said tunnel when said shank insert is in an state in said tunnel, said shank insert being manually installable in the ballet pointe shoe, without deconstructing the ballet pointe shoe even partially, by inserting at least said portion of said shank insert into said tunnel by way of said throat of said upper and said mouth of said tunnel, said shank insert being manually removable from the ballet pointe shoe, without deconstructing the ballet pointe shoe even partially, by withdrawing at least said portion of said shank insert from said tunnel by way of said mouth and withdrawing said shank insert from the ballet pointe shoe by way of said throat of said upper.

A ballet pointe shoe for use by a ballet dancer, said ballet pointe shoe, comprising:

• (a) an insole;
• (b) an outsole;
• (c) an upper having a foot compartment and a throat by way of which a foot of the ballet dancer enters said foot compartment, said outsole being disposed beneath said upper, said insole being disposed inside said foot compartment, said upper including a toe box and a shank body, said toe box having a base, said shank body extending longitudinally rearward from said base of said toe box, said upper further including a tunnel extending longitudinally through said shank body, said tunnel having a mouth which is functionally accessible by way of said upper without deconstructing the ballet pointe shoe even partially, a portion of said tunnel underlying a great toe of the ballet dancer during the use of the ballet pointe shoe;
• and
• (d) a shank insert removably installed in said upper, at least a portion of said shank insert being received in said portion of said tunnel.

A ballet pointe shoe for use by a ballet dancer, said ballet pointe shoe, comprising:

• (a) an insole;
• (b) an outsole;
• (c) an upper having a foot compartment and a throat by way of which a foot of the ballet dancer enters said foot compartment, said insole being disposed inside said foot compartment, said outsole being disposed beneath said upper, said upper having a toe box and a tunnel, said tunnel being located beneath said insole, said tunnel having a mouth which is revealably concealed beneath said insole and is functionally accessible by way of said foot compartment, said tunnel extending in a longitudinally forward direction from said mouth, at least a portion of said tunnel extending beneath said toe box;
• and
• (d) a shank insert which is removably and replaceably installed in said upper, at least a portion of said shank insert being removably received in said portion of said tunnel when said shank insert is installed in said upper, said shank insert being manually removable from the ballet pointe shoe by withdrawing said shank insert from said tunnel by way of said mouth of said tunnel and withdrawing said shank insert from the ballet pointe shoe by way of said throat of said upper.