Patent ID: 7730634

Claim:
A dancer's shoe that has the flexibility required for jazz dancing and for standing three-quarters on pointe and the support strength required for character dancing, comprising: a hard plastic high heel, said high heel being at least approximately two inches in height at all parts of the high heel, a shoe body including a flexible shoe upper shaped for receiving the dancer's foot, said shoe upper comprising an upper heel cup and an upper toe box, the upper heel cup and the upper toe box separated from one another, the shoe upper having a left side and a right side, said left side including an elastic insert on the upper toe box in an area of an arch and said right side including an elastic insert on the upper toe box in the area of the arch, a suede leather outer sole comprising a continuous layer of leather spanning a length and width of the shoe, said layer including a thick harder suede leather front region in an area of the front sole, a thinner flexible suede leather middle section behind the front sole and a thick harder suede leather back region extending from the thinner flexible leather middle section to the heel and extending over a face of the heel; and a rigid partial shank extending forward from a back of the shoe above a face of the heel and further extending forward over the arch in a middle portion of the shoe and terminating before the area of the front sole, the shoe providing strength and support for energetic dancing but still allowing a wearer to flex the shoe and to stand three-quarters pointe during dancing.