They're usually canvas, or leather. You can't go up en pointe with them. Pointe shoes are normally a bit harder so that you can get up on your toes. And men typically wear the ballet flats ...

The pioneers of pointe shoes were well-aware of this power: Marie Taglioni, the first ballerina to perform fully en pointe, was as revered for her delicacy onstage as her chaste image offstage.