A method for passively developing or rehabilitating those muscles, tendons and ligaments of a user's foot necessary to achieve and maintain a ballet dancer's en pointe position comprising:
- (a) providing a foot conditioning device, said foot conditioning device including,
- (i) a formed insole member having an upper surface, said formed insole member configured in a shape resembling the en pointe profile of a ballet dancer's foot, said formed insole member having a heel-end and a toe-end and a first axis extending from said heel-end to said toe-end, said heel-end formed in a subtalar neutral position for a particular user whereby the ankle is locked when said foot conditioning device is secured to the foot after step (d) hereinafter, said heel-end of the formed insole member including a raised, rim-like portion to facilitate placement of the heel-end of the foot on said formed insole member such that said heel-end of the foot is maintained in the subtalar neutral position due to its placement on the formed insole member, throughout steps (c) through (g) of the claimed method;
- and,
- (ii) means for releasably securing the user's foot to said formed insole member such that an under surface of the foot is maintained in continuous contact with said upper surface of said formed insole member along the length of said first axis, said means for releasably holding including means for contacting a plurality of positions of an upper surface of the user's foot from the heel-end to the toe-end;
- (b) instructing the user to place its foot on said formed insole member by placing the foot on the insole such that the heel-end of the foot is disposed in juxtaposition to said raised, rim-like portion of said heel-end of the formed insole member, and such that the under surface of the foot is in contact with at least a portion of said upper surface from said heel-end to said toe-end;
- (c) instructing the user to enable said means for releasably securing the user's foot to said formed insole member including the step of overlaying said means for contacting on the upper surface of the foot at various locations of the upper surface of the foot from a point on the toe-end side of the ankle to the toe-end;
- (d) instructing the user to tighten said means for releasably securing the user's foot to said formed insole member at least until a pressure on the foot is experienced that is comfortable to the user;
- (e) instructing the user to keep the foot conditioning device on its foot for a period of time that comports with a respective development or rehabilitative plan for the user;
- (f) instructing the user to maintain a non-weight bearing body position while said foot conditioning device is secured to the user's foot as per step (e) above, so as to minimize the amount of body weight supported by the foot with the foot conditioning device thereon;
- (g) instructing the user to repeat the steps of securing the formed insole member to the foot periodically as may be called for in the user's respective development or rehabilitative plan, said formed insole member retaining its en pointe profile with the heel-end of the foot in a subtalar neutral position, when said foot conditioning device is in place on the user's foot in the non-weight bearing body position.