ballet-shoes
/ˈbæl.eɪ ʃuːz/ IELTSAcademic
noun
Light shoes worn by ballet dancers for practice or performance. They are soft, thin, and made to help the foot move freely.
- She wore pink ballet shoes for class.
- The dancer tightened her ballet shoes.
- These ballet shoes fit her feet perfectly.
Adinary Nuance
Ballet shoes are different from dance shoes in general. Ballet shoes are made for ballet, while dance shoes can mean shoes for many kinds of dance. They are also different from pointe shoes, which have a hard toe box for advanced ballet dancers. In everyday English, people may say just “ballet shoes,” even when they mean practice slippers.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- giày múa ba lê
- Spanish
- zapatillas de ballet
- Chinese
- 芭蕾舞鞋
- Japanese
- バレエシューズ
- Korean
- 발레 슈즈
Etymology
Ballet comes from French, from Italian ballo, meaning “dance.” Shoes is the English plural form. The compound has been used in English since the 19th century.
Common phrases
pink ballet shoesballet shoes for classa pair of ballet shoeswear ballet shoes
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Are ballet shoes the same as ballet slippers?
- Yes, people often use both names for the same soft ballet footwear.
- What is the difference between ballet shoes and pointe shoes?
- Ballet shoes are soft. Pointe shoes have a hard toe and are for advanced dancers.
- Are ballet shoes used only for performance?
- No. Dancers often wear them in class and practice too.