A head with many hats

The primary job of a shoe manager is to order and organize most, if not all, of the shoes worn by the company’s dancers. This includes pointe shoes, ballet shoes, jazz shoes and character shoes. Depending on the company, they may also handle boots, sneakers, socks and any other type of footwear needed for a production. They are also responsible for organizing the shoe room and taking inventory, which is no easy task. For example, according to Sandy Barrack, Pacific Northwest Ballet’s shoe manager, Pacific Northwest Ballet dancers go through “an average of 80 pairs of pointe shoes per season.” (The company will have 26 pointe dancers this season, for a total of 2,080 pairs of shoes.)

Often, shoe managers have more than one role within their company. Barrack is the PNB’s production manager, so her shoe duties fall under that job title. At the Joffrey Ballet, shoe manager Gregg Benkovich also works in wardrobe in the costume shop, while Boston Ballet’s shoe manager Kathleen Mitchell is both the artistic liaison for the Boston Ballet School and the director of its graduate program. In smaller companies, this role is sometimes taken on by one of the dancers.

The tasks within the role can also vary from company to company. Some just order and organize shoes, while others also dye ribbons and elastics and prepare shoes in other ways. And the managers themselves often have different backgrounds – some may be former dancers, while others have experience in production and theater but have never taken ballet lessons or worn pointe shoes.

Given the unique demands of the job, shoe managers at many North American ballet companies have developed their own support system. “We have a little network,” says Mitchell, pointing to an email list many of them belong to. There, they share extra shoe inventory and information (handy when a dancer’s preferred size or manufacturer is running low) and ask questions like how best to dye elastic, where to order certain specialty shoes, or who to contact at a particular company. “We’re all out to help each other,” says Barrack.

Trying to predict the future

The biggest challenge for shoe managers is supplying dancers with enough wearable pointe shoes. Because most are handmade, they can take months to arrive. “I order two or three seasons in advance,” says Benkovich. “I may know the next season or the season after that, but I certainly don’t know the cast. I may not know exactly what the shoe needs. It’s like trying to have a crystal ball and see into the future.”

When awarding contracts, managers must consider the upcoming season, the roles the dancers might play, the dancers’ shoe wear, injuries or return to recovery, whether there are requests for custom shoes and, most importantly, the estimated wait time for certain brands and manufacturers.

Many develop strategies to avoid being overwhelmed. “I keep very good records and have a solid spreadsheet,” Mitchell says. But even with careful, comprehensive planning, sometimes getting a dancer the shoes she wants is simply out of a shoe manager’s control. “Having to say, ‘I’m really sorry, but in 15 months I’m not going to have enough of the shoes you want’ – I hate having to break that news,” Barrack says.

Because of the high prices of pointe shoes and other specialty footwear, managers also have a big financial responsibility to their company. “The value of shoes in our shoe room at any given time is $330,000 to $340,000,” Barrack says. And while shoe managers want to do everything they can to support dancers, sometimes they have to stand firm and ask company members to use up the inventory they already have before trying something new. “I’m also tasked with not wasting too much money,” Barrack says.

A helping hand

In addition to ordering and preparing shoes, managers also assist dancers with their various shoe needs. Effective communication is an essential part of the job, whether it’s discussing adjustments to a custom order or determining if a particular ballet shoe wasn’t a good fit for someone. “They always know I’m listening to them. I think that’s hugely important,” says Barrack. Benkovich agrees: “The bottom line is, I don’t have to wear them. I don’t have to work in them. They do.”

Supporting the dancers’ performances is the most rewarding part of the position, Mitchell says. “I enjoy helping them find a solution to their foot problems because that’s really the only tool they have,” Mitchell says. When Benkovich sees the dancers perform, he gets satisfaction knowing he contributed. “One thing that’s really special and unique about being a shoe manager is that you’re one of a handful of people in the world who do that. That’s kind of cool.”