Above is a picture of what the shoes look like. The back part of these shoes have hurt my ankle many times and left a red area that I don't know how to heal.
Is there a way to prevent these marks from appearing in the first place? I have tried using band-aids, but it isn't effective.
You can prevent this from happening at all by putting a small square of soft, medium thickness fabric in between the back of your heel and the shoe.
The redness is caused by abrasion of the back of your heel rubbing on the heel of the shoe.
You can try applying a layer of medical tape to your ankle before putting them on. It is similar to the band-aid solution, but the tape tends to stick better.
If you really must wear shoes that are damaging your feet in this way, buy some suede heel grips and stick those in the shoe in the right spot. This will make them grip tighter, stop them slipping and digging in, but check before sticking that they don't make the shoes too tight and force your toes to far forward, or you'll have sore toes as well. Alternatively, use Pressure Point Foam padding, which has a sticky back (made by Scholl), though this latter may not stay so firmly in place.
The only other thing I'd say is, if the red, sore area is right at the top of where the shoe sits, above your heel, and the shoes don't slip when you're wearing them, it may be that the height of the backs is fractionally too much for your foot - if that's the case, try wearing a gel heel insert inside the shoe to raise your foot up marginally so that the back of the shoe is pressing lower down, where it may not cause damage. I'd also suggest you don't wear the shoes at all until the damaged area on our ankle has healed completely, or you will develop a permanent bulge or lump in that area.
I realise this answer is not exactly a 'hack' as such, because it means going out and buying the right stuff...
First off be sure that the shoes fit properly.
My personal experience in this area comes from other sports, primarily hockey, but there are some useful overlaps. Many hockey players wrap their feet and ankles before competing to prevent injury. This may not be an option during performances (aesthetics being more important there), but you may be able to get away with it for practices.
The other option may sound a bit harsh and unsympathetic, but over time your feet will develop their own protection. If you can bear to tough it out, after a while you will form calluses. Don't remove them. Next time your with other experienced dancers ask around and take a look at their feet and ankles you'll very likely see occupational markers or calluses unique to dancers.
