Almost all little girls did ballet, but the ones who stick with the training look forward to earning their pointe shoes. Around age 12 and after years of training, they start pre-pointe to specifically articulate their feet and ankles. Halfway through a semester, the teacher may decide that some students are ready to buy their first pair of shoes. Getting pointe shoes fitted must be done by someone in the field who knows how they should fit. There are different brands, strengths, vamps, and sizes and each shoe is made by hand so the same size may not fit the same way. After finding a shoe and maybe dancing in them for a while, the dancer will know what they need and can buy online.
The problem dance teachers are having now is that anyone can buy pointe shoes online. When buying, there is no disclaimer of the dangers or checking to see if the buyer is old enough or strong enough to wear. Many parents and grandparents have bought these shoes as gifts and end up doing more harm.
I would like to petition that any pointe shoes sold online should just inform the buyer of the dangers. If the shoes don't fit correctly or the child is not strong enough, one can permanently damage the bones of the foot and even break ankles. This is mostly for non-dancers or for the uneducated. Please seek a dance teacher or studio to help you before you buy online!