What is the purpose of the dance sole or pivot in dance shoes?

The knee connects the upper and lower legs. In principle, it is 2 sticks standing on top of each other. But it is not that simple. The joint has to perform a rolling and sliding movement at the same time. In order for this movement to be possible, the two bones (femur and tibia) must be connected to each other. Connecting ligaments then run along a notch in the lower knee joint head. 

Particularly important; the ligaments that run crosswise in the knee - that is why they are called cruciate ligaments. They stabilise the knee joint. Other ligaments at the sides provide additional support. This combination secures our knee and yet makes it flexible and supple. 

Turning, stretching, jumping or dancing. The knee joint gives us a lot of freedom. However, the leg muscles put a lot of pressure on the knee. With every step, the upper and lower leg muscles must be able to engage with each other. This has to work smoothly, otherwise we don't move forward.

The kneecap is responsible for this. It directs the muscle power around the joint. But with this effort, the bone could wear away. We need protection against this. We need an elastic cushion. This protects against wear and tear and increases the contact surface. In our knee, this cushioning function is performed by the so-called meniscus. We have 2 - an inner meniscus and an outer meniscus. The menisci transfer the load from the upper to the lower leg and they stabilise the knee during flexion, extension and circular movements. The entire knee joint is surrounded by a joint capsule.

Wear and tear, especially of the cruciate ligaments and the collateral ligaments, less frequently of the menisci and joint capsule, but overuse or the wrong shoes can lead to knee pain.

That is why it is important to have the right footwear for dancing to reduce wear and tear. The soles of the dance shoes must at the same time give enough support and glide so that you don't slip away or stick to the spot. This is especially important during turns to protect the cruciate ligaments. Dance shoes have special soles (suede leather soles) and pivot points on the soles of PVC soles to facilitate this movement and thus protect our knees against too much pressure.