Pointe shoes are normally only worn by female ballet dancers ; male dancers may wear them for unorthodox roles such as the Ugly Stepsisters in Cinderella , or Bottom in A Midsummer Night 's Dream . They are normally worn by female dancers , though male dancers may wear them for unorthodox roles such as the ugly stepsisters in Cinderella , Bottom in A Midsummer Night 's Dream , or men performing as women in dance companies such as Les Ballets Trockadero and Grandiva .