Gluing your pointe shoes is essential to their longevity. I wear Freed, and I absolutely do not take one step in my pointe shoes without gluing them inside and out. Everyone has their own preference with this. Some like to shape their shoes a little before they glue. I however like a strong box and for the platform to remain flat and square so that I feel straight on my box and lifted in my shoes. I also glue the interior and exterior edges of the shank.
In terms of which brand of glue I use, when I joined Miami City Ballet, the company supplied us with single use super glue for gluing our pointe shoes. Here is the link for the exact glue that Miami City Ballet uses. It's genius! No mess, one use and toss it out. It's the same exact formula as Jet Glue, except no more storing it in your dance bag, the lid popping off, and risking Jet Glue everywhere!
Happy dancing!
