The glue and canvas break down and by the end of a performance, the shoes often are so soft they can no longer support the dancer's footwork. Some dancers wear through three pairs of pointe shoes in a single performance. Male dancers usually wear ballet slippers made of leather or canvas which, like pointe shoes, are specially made to measure for each individual. The leather is pleated and soft under the toes but the rest of the sole is made of hard leather. The shoes are easily malleable, moulding to the foot like a second skin and assist the dancer in establishing a firm grip on the floor.
Dancers also use a variety of other footwear including character boots and shoes.
There are two different kinds of character boots, heeled and unheeled. In order to perform complex dance techniques, male dancers must wear the very soft, flat, close-fitting slippers mentioned above, in which the foot can be easily manipulated. But if they have to dance classical ballet variations and the costume designer requires them to wear period boots, footwear appropriate to the time and place of the ballet, the dancer compromises by wearing heelless boots. The foot of the boot is shaped just like a ballet slipper and the upper part is made to fit the calf and ankle measurements of the individual dancer. They are thus tight fitting and don't roll down the leg.