Deshank them- This is the "useful" method. It only works with a few brands of shoes.....I know you can do this with Capezios, Blochs, Freeds, and Gambas. I know you can't deshank Gaynor Mindens or Grishkos (well, theoretically you can, but they get massivley screwed up and you can't wear them). This is not easy and sometimes takes a while. However, working in demi-pointe shoes is great for building foot strength. If you do not want to wear them, some schools train pre- pointe students in shankless pointe shoes before they go en pointe; perhaps they can be of use there.
Hang them up- Sound simple? It s! Just tie the ribbons together in a bow. You can hang them in an arrangement on the wall or over closet or door handles. Another good idea is to put pushpins into the top of sides of a doorframe and hang them from there.
Decorate Them- If you have a pair that wore out when they were still relatively clean, take some rhinestones and flowers and glue them onto top of the the vamp, near the drawstring. For a more vintage look, put the flower in the middle and small (preferably clear) stones around the sides. For a more "Vegas-y" look, use bigger, colorful rhinestones and put a feather of two in the middle. If your pointe shoes aren't so clean, you can take a dried flower (and their are some places that sell fake dried flowers) in the middle, for a more "old" look.
Potpourri- Attach a clear netting the the inside of the shoe, near the front part of the drawstring. Fill the shoe with potpourri, and attach the netting to the other sides of the shoe. You can do this with one shoe or two. They can hang, lie flat (like on a dresser), or you can prop them so that they stand up.
Sign them- In major ballet companies, principals and soloists often times autograph their dead pointe shoes and sell them to balletomanes. If you're stuck on a simple gift for a parent or grandparent of yours, sign a pair of your pointe shoes-- maybe include a short, nice message-- and give them as a gift (but make sure they don't smell!).
