Why Ballet Slippers Are Pink (and Who They Forgot)

Ballet slippers are pink for one reason: in 19th-century Paris, "flesh tone" meant one very specific flesh. The satin was dyed to disappear against a dancer's leg, so the line of the body looked endless. For over a century, that shade of pink was the only option — every dancer who didn't match the satin had to pancake her shoes with makeup, pair by pair, night after night. It took until 2018 for major dancewear brands to make pointe shoes in more than one skin tone. The prettiest things often have the longest shadows — and that's exactly why we tell their stories.