My Pointe Shoe History
Hi there! I've been through quite the ordeal to find the right pointe shoe since I started pointe in August of 2012. As I write this now (5.9.13) I've been through 5 different makes/models of shoe... I have a 6th pair on the way too! I've learned a tremendous amount about types of feet and how that translates into pointe shoes. This is the condensed version of my pointe shoe saga.
My Stats:
Height: 6'1 (I know, I'm an amazonian!!)
Body type: A few extra lbs around the middle
Age: 26
Foot Type:
Street shoe size: 10
Highly compressible
Wide on flat, narrow en pointe
Peasant shaped toes-- first three are about even
High, flexible arch
Strong feet
Fairly long toes
I was fitted in these shoes by the most highly rated pointe fitters in the Milwaukee area. The lady was nice and answered my questions, but had I known then what I know now, I would have never purchased these shoes. I guess I was enchanted just like a teenager surely would be getting their first pair in recent history.
The shoes look nice enough on my feet in this pic, and even now if I put them on they are extremely comfortable and don't hurt my feet at all. Buuuuuut, this honeymoon was over pretty much immediately when I took my first few classes.
The arch was just wrong. The shoe has a weird bulge at the highest part of my arch, I couldn't get over the box even in tiny 1st position, and there is still no chance of doing anything other than jumping up onto pointe. These are Russian shoes, made for springing onto pointe, not rolling through demi. It was just a hot mess. I asked my instructor about it, and opted to be fitted for a new pair yet again. They look so weird!
These shoes looked absolutely fabulous on my feet. As I mentioned, my feet look really wide and square while standing flat, but they are very compressible. Neither of my first two fitters checked to see if my feet compressed, so I ended up with this pair of shoes built for the dancer with very wide square feet. After two classes I was in agony. I took the above pictures after I'd gotten my 3rd pair of shoes, which is why there are no ribbons. I had so much lambswool stuck in them to dull the excruciating pain in my big toes, you can see from the picture I'm in obvious agony. Onto shoe 3.
About this time I decided that I'd go through the steps to submit my foot drawings to GM for sizing suggestions. The Contemporas died faster than I thought, so I hit panic mode when I realized GM's took 2-4 weeks to arrive. Hmph.
The Bloch Serenade made its way into my life and fit me great. Best fit yet! They held up through January, and February. The shoes broke in completely at the demi pointe area, to the point where I couldn't roll through them at all. Class started getting frustrating again.... I had improved in a huge way after I started using the Contemporas, and I started to regress when the shoes died. I'd never trusted my left shoe in any of the other pairs, and this was not an exception.
My parents bought me a pair of Gaynors for Christmas, and I finally ordered them at the beginning of March. I figured the Serenades would last awhile longer with some glue, and they did.
This is my 5th pair, Gaynor Minden. Here are the specs:
#3 Box
Size 11.5 (11 was a smidge too short)
Extraflex Shank (Wish I'd bought the Hard)
Narrow
Sleekfit Vamp & Heel (which is actually the longest vamp they have)
Luxe Satin
I put a boxliner in the shoes, and the wrinkle is gone. I ended up putting more heavy duty elastic and Prima Soft extension ribbon on instead of what you see pictured here. These shoes have a perfectly flat box, and most of my other shoes have uneven or slightly rounded tips.
They really fit like a glove. I have a small bit of lambswool in the tips, but otherwise no padding is needed at all. I got the deep vamp, and even though it's still a lot smaller than other vamps I've tried, still so secure feeling. They really are made for individual feet, and I think that plays a huge role in their comfort. They hug the metatarsals right and my toes physically can't curl inside the shoe with such a low profile. It forces you to have your feet placed correctly, thus forcing you to work through the shoe.
In the end, this shoe wasn't perfect because of the shank being too weak. I wasn't able to roll through demi, and my feet looked way bent in half when working in eschappe especially.... here's a video screenshot of the peak of an eschappe:
Not pretty. So I was fitted again. I will reorder the same exact shoe with a harder shank someday!
My Stats:
Height: 6'1 (I know, I'm an amazonian!!)
Body type: A few extra lbs around the middle
Age: 26
Foot Type:
Street shoe size: 10
Highly compressible
Wide on flat, narrow en pointe
Peasant shaped toes-- first three are about even
High, flexible arch
Strong feet
Fairly long toes
First Pair: Grishko 2007
The shoes look nice enough on my feet in this pic, and even now if I put them on they are extremely comfortable and don't hurt my feet at all. Buuuuuut, this honeymoon was over pretty much immediately when I took my first few classes.
The arch was just wrong. The shoe has a weird bulge at the highest part of my arch, I couldn't get over the box even in tiny 1st position, and there is still no chance of doing anything other than jumping up onto pointe. These are Russian shoes, made for springing onto pointe, not rolling through demi. It was just a hot mess. I asked my instructor about it, and opted to be fitted for a new pair yet again. They look so weird!
Second Pair: Capezio Aria
(I know, my thumb!!!)
When I learned how weird the shoes were and how wrong they looked, I started researching pointe shoes. Man, there are so many brands, all are sized differently, all widths are totally different, some have 5 shank strengths and some have 1. So confusing! I decided I would try Gaynor Mindens, so I went searching for a store that sells them. Unfortunately for me, the only 2 stores remotely close to Milwaukee are Madison (1hr drive one way) and Chicago. Not close. I called the Madison store to learn that they have GM's in stock and could do a fitting. Long story short, I end up going to both locations in one day in search of these shoes.
I didn't end up with GM's that day, but I did bring home a pair of Capezio Aria that seemingly fit perfectly during the fitting. Wrong again!
3rd Pair: Capezio Contempora
I did something inexperienced dancers shouldn't do. I got desperate and ordered a pair online without trying them on first. I did extensive research on many shoes to figure out what would suit my feet. I really dug deep into what it means when you translate my foot shape into different pointe shoes on the market.
I decided that even though the Aria were terribly painful, I loved the sole of the Capezio shoe. I liked that the Grishko had a more V shaped vamp. I need slightly tapered, to account for my peasant shaped feet. Definitely need a harder shank.
The Capezio Contempora fit almost all of those descriptions. The only thing they didn't have is a harder shank. The shank is medium-ish, but Capezio shoes are traditionally lighter in the shank region. I bought them, and they were lightyears better than both of my previous pairs.
I took one class and realized immediately that these would break down after maybe 3 classes. Wings too soft, shank too soft, etc. I ended up using a whole lot of super glue to make them stiff enough and to prolong the life. I glued them about 8 times before I decided to get a new pair. The general shape of the shoe was right for my feet.
Pair 4: Bloch Serenade
The Bloch Serenade made its way into my life and fit me great. Best fit yet! They held up through January, and February. The shoes broke in completely at the demi pointe area, to the point where I couldn't roll through them at all. Class started getting frustrating again.... I had improved in a huge way after I started using the Contemporas, and I started to regress when the shoes died. I'd never trusted my left shoe in any of the other pairs, and this was not an exception.
My parents bought me a pair of Gaynors for Christmas, and I finally ordered them at the beginning of March. I figured the Serenades would last awhile longer with some glue, and they did.
5th Pair: Gaynor Minden Luxe
#3 Box
Size 11.5 (11 was a smidge too short)
Extraflex Shank (Wish I'd bought the Hard)
Narrow
Sleekfit Vamp & Heel (which is actually the longest vamp they have)
Luxe Satin
I put a boxliner in the shoes, and the wrinkle is gone. I ended up putting more heavy duty elastic and Prima Soft extension ribbon on instead of what you see pictured here. These shoes have a perfectly flat box, and most of my other shoes have uneven or slightly rounded tips.
They really fit like a glove. I have a small bit of lambswool in the tips, but otherwise no padding is needed at all. I got the deep vamp, and even though it's still a lot smaller than other vamps I've tried, still so secure feeling. They really are made for individual feet, and I think that plays a huge role in their comfort. They hug the metatarsals right and my toes physically can't curl inside the shoe with such a low profile. It forces you to have your feet placed correctly, thus forcing you to work through the shoe.
In the end, this shoe wasn't perfect because of the shank being too weak. I wasn't able to roll through demi, and my feet looked way bent in half when working in eschappe especially.... here's a video screenshot of the peak of an eschappe:
Not pretty. So I was fitted again. I will reorder the same exact shoe with a harder shank someday!
6th Pair: Russian Pointe Almaz
I have a love-hate relationship with this shoe. I loved how it fit when I first bought it, but overtime it didn't conform to my foot to my liking, instead it got worse. I like the shank support and the shape & size of the platform, but it's not my perfect shoe. I don't think I'll re-order.
7th Pair: Grishko 2007 PRO
This is my current pair. I've only worn them in class once, so I'll write an update later once I've gotten to know them.
Hey Darling!
ReplyDeleteI just bought a pair of Fuzi pointes online. They're a V-vamp, look like a Grishko 2007 and have a 3/4 hard shank. Basically, it's a step into deep water for me. Hoping that they arrive soon so that I can try them out. I came across this blog as I was doing research on the shoes. Thanks for the reviews, definitely helping me out in narrowing down for a perfect pair!
-Nicole NonChaire
While I think it's great that you're on pointe and obviously improving immensely and looking great, I really do not think that you are qualified to run the pointe perfect site so that people can find their perfect shoe. This is done by professional fitters and because you have only been on pointe for two years, I really do not think that you should be telling others how to fit their shoes. Please specify that you are a novice on your site so that no one takes the advice as gospel--for example, arch height isn't necessarily how one finds a shank stiffness, as I have an extraflex shank and very high arches and have had this for many years. Please note this on your site as I think that it's very necessary!!! Thanks. Good luck with your dancing
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input and I do appreciate your concerns.
DeleteI do have it listed in the about section that I'm not a professional dancer. Pointe fitting is a delicate subject, so I understand where you are coming from.
I can't recall a place I've ever stated that arch height is the only thing that impacts shank requirements. There are a huge number of factors that go in to shank preference, and oftentimes it's just that, preference.
Height and weight, foot strength, method/style of ballet, arch type, arch and ankle flexibility... The list goes on and on.
Extraflex is the most popular GM shank, but many people who have it are over shanked. That's awesome that it works for you.
Finally, I've dedicated hundreds of hours of my free time to researching pointe shoes and feet. I feel that my overall knowledge of pointe fitting (which is vast) gives me an advantage over a person who has only been dancing in them for the last however many years they've been dancing. Considering pointe fitting is not regulated or certified, you never know what type of fitter you'll get. I only strive to help others learn what their feet are and how that generally translates to pointe fit.
Thanks again,
RB
Annabelle,
DeleteWhen one is surfing for answers on the internet and lands on this blog, they can see that it's not a "professional fitter" site nor is it WEB MD. However, if anyone is surfing the internet and taking anything "as the gospel" (as you put it), then that person is a child. Wait...my ten year old filters everything she reads. When a visitor actually takes the time to read the text (not just browse text beneath pictures), they will clearly discover that Remedial Ballerina is not only forthcoming in stating that she's not a professional and she is also quite humble in every paragraph. In my experience, that in itself is a rare quality in the world of ballet dancers that are far too often judgmental (er-hum). Keep up the good work Remedial Ballerina, you've spent a great deal of time sharing your plight to find the perfect fit. Your site is charming. Don't second guess what you write when people tell you "how to write". It's perfect the way it is.
Grace
For a 3-toe platform foot, you need a 3-toe platform shoe. All of the above shoes, with the exception of the Capezio 121 (Aria) are 1-toe platform shoes. Just from examining your photos, your feet look suspended in every single pair you've shown. (Too narrow across the metatarsels, so the shoe isn't allowing your foot to sit comfortably inside the box. Essentially, you are putting a rectangle inside a triangle. It just doesn't work.)
ReplyDeleteSo, from my professional opinion, as a professional pointe shoe specialist, you are still choosing the incorrect pair of shoes for your particular foot shape.
Hi anon,
DeleteThanks for the input, I appreciate it! I can see why you think that. The skilled fitters at a shop in Chicago put me in the Aria. Looking at my feet on flat, the Aria makes sense.
In the studio, the Aria was a disaster. I own pretty much every type of pointe shoe padding and filler because of those shoes.
My feet are so highly compressible, they conform to the shoe instead of the shoe molding to my foot. It has taken lots of trial and error, but the shoes with slightly tapered box like the Grishko 2007 are what support my metatarsal on pointe. I'm still playing with the correct width and length. The RP Almaz was too narrow, it never did stretch out that extra bit to be quite right.
I don't doubt there is probably still a perfect shoe looming out there me, it's just not one available in my area at the moment. For now I'm happy. I'm not in pain, I have full feeling of the floor through my shoes and I can roll through them without issue.
Thanks again,
RB
we seem to have similar feet... Have you tried the Russian Pointe Rubin? LOVE THEM. Only thing is, it's kinda hard to break in the demi pointe. They have a nice flat, and wide box. So far, these have been the best for me as far as getting over my box and balancing properly.
Delete