Demi pointe shoes/Soft Blocks

[swanprincess]

I got mine from Katz dancewear in Nuneaton, dont think thats near you? I got Gamba pointes but took the shanks out and hammered them so they were soft enough to wear as softblocks xx

[Anna C]

Capezio have reinvented their softblocks; they now have two types - one for narrow feet with tapered toes, and one for wider metatarsals. I have never tried to get a shoe fitting in Capezio but they look quite nice if you are willing and able to fit your own softblocks.

[FullContretemps]

I have Gambas with narrow feet and tapered toes and also wear Gamba pointes. Got the actual soft blocks for exams from my local shop in York, otherwise I just use deshanked pointes.

[Anna C]

Not getting on with the Freeds - dd doesn't like them. She has short toes, and the vamp is quite long and seems to dig into the top of her feet, even though the shoes are now soft.

 

Thinking we might have to go back to Bloch ones.

 

Does anyone know of another style, that isn't too tapered and suits people with short wide toes and a narow heel?

Sorry to resurrect such an old thread, but Capezio has recently redeveloped their soft blocks and dd bought a pair at the weekend. They have low sides and a very deep vamp so she finds it easier to get up to demi/three quarter pointe without the front of the shoe digging in. May be worth a try: http://blog.capeziodanceeu.com/post/2013/03/21/Introducing-the-Demi-Pointe.aspx

 

They are much lighter and quieter than de-shanked pointes, and are lovely and padded. Dd is going to try them with a view to wearing them for her Intermediate exam.

[taxi4ballet]

Do keep us posted, and let us know how she gets on with them. Are they fairly narrow at the heel?

[Anna C]

Yes, and you can get them in a narrow or a wide toe box. Dd has wide metatarsals so went for the latter. Very pretty on but she hasn't danced in them yet so will keep you posted. :-)

[taxi4ballet]

They sound lovely, dd has square wide toes too, but the rest of her foot then narrows, they look like a triangle from underneath.

[Anna C]

If you do try some from the Capezio shop in Covt Garden, ask for Kyrie, the Assistant Manager. We've had some atrocious service in there in the past, but Kyrie is very nice and knows her stuff.

[Nana Lily]

My eldest DD has tried Freed, Bloch and Grishko. She prefers Grishko. Its best to try a few different brands to wear/dance in as she thinks they all wear in differently.

 

NL

[All4dancers]

My dd says her Grishko soft blocks are the most comfortable ones she has had yet.  She has wide metatarsals and narrow heels.

[Bluebird22]

My first pair of soft pointes were porselli and were absolutely perfect I adored them, and they were pink not peach! I then had a pair of porselli pointe shoes which were again gorgeous but lasted me no time at all. My teacher at the time was ex ENB and she told me to wear my pointe shoes in the bath, and then leave them on to dry. I can't remember if we deshanked them but I will try and find them since they were perfect. I also wore toe pads and they were too loose without, so bathing in them really helped mould them to my feet. Also they weren't noisy at all!

 

We've also done this quite a few times with satin ballet shoes to get that really snug fit.

[balletmadmom]

The Freed soft blocks are very good and if they need to alter them slightly for your foot, they send them off for sewing, etc. and they are ready the next week.

[Anna C]

My first pair of soft pointes were porselli and were absolutely perfect I adored them, and they were pink not peach! I then had a pair of porselli pointe shoes which were again gorgeous but lasted me no time at all. My teacher at the time was ex ENB and she told me to wear my pointe shoes in the bath, and then leave them on to dry. I can't remember if we deshanked them but I will try and find them since they were perfect. I also wore toe pads and they were too loose without, so bathing in them really helped mould them to my feet. Also they weren't noisy at all!

We've also done this quite a few times with satin ballet shoes to get that really snug fit.

Gosh, I'm surprised at that Bluebird - wouldn't getting them wet through wreck the box and dissolve the glue?

 

I know that wetting the satin with water or surgical spirit can help it mould, but I always thought soaking the box of traditionally made pointe shoes was a real no-no.

[Bluebird22]

You would think so, but I really only have fond memories of them. I'm trying to find them to investigate what sort of state they were in. I remember my mum being happy to try it since I already had a pair of soft pointes and I could no longer use them as pointes.

 

They were definitely the pair I wore for my intermediate foundation and intermediate exam so they must have been acceptable!

[Anna C]

As soft blocks, I assume - not pointes!? :-)

[Bluebird22]

Yes as soft blocks. The last time I remember seeing them, they were so worn all of the satin had peeled back, as had the canvas to reveal all the innards of the box!

 

I really wear my shoes till they are destroyed, it pains me to buy new ones when I'm so attached to my old ones!

[spooky]

Gosh, I'm surprised at that Bluebird - wouldn't getting them wet through wreck the box and dissolve the glue?

 

I know that wetting the satin with water or surgical spirit can help it mould, but I always thought soaking the box of traditionally made pointe shoes was a real no-no.

 

Yep - we had to abandon two (virtually unworn) pairs of pointe shoes after dd's water bottle leaked in her bag!

[Bluebird22]

Maybe it was because mine stayed on my feet and didn't have the chance to collapse in? I really have no idea, but now everyone has said it it does seems really strange as really water and pointes shouldn't mix! I have just finished off a pair of grishko pointes, I will try and experiment with the bath technique and get back to everyone, since it was a good 8years ago !

[Anon2]

Spannerandpony

 

Wondered if your dd had started wearing her new Capezio soft blocks yet and if so how she was finding them

 

Jane

[Anna C]

Hi Jane,

 

Lovely - very comfy because the insole is so padded, and the low vamp means she can get up very easily onto 3/4 pointe in them.

 

The only drawback is that as opposed to being especially quiet, they're actually pretty noisy on some floors! From the lack of pleats under the box and the noise, they seem to have some sort of polymer or plastic in the box. I've stood on them and steamed them but to no avail. Very strange.

 

But apart from that they look lovely. :-) Very low profile so they do look flattering on.

[Anon2]

Thank you Spannerandpony, might get dd to have a look at them next time in London. 

[Anna C]

No problem. :-)

[Thecatsmother]

Try steaming them over a kettle to soften the inside and take them out side and bang the base of the shoe on concrete as this reduces the sound. Noise is something would certainly have had to be addressed by whole corps de ballet at ENB swan lake. Can you imagine consequences if not....

[Anna C]

Thanks Balleteacher. :-) Yes, that always works for dd's Freeds - sometimes just steaming works - but having steamed them, stood on them and given them a thorough bashing they still have a plasticky sound, which is what has convinced me that there is some polymer in the underside of the Capezio box.

 

Fortunately her pointes are Freed Classic Pro which seem to be naturally very quiet. :-)

[SBallerina]

I am de-shanking my old pointe shoes, which works if you don't use any pads. The shoes tend to be quite big though I don't use any padding

You should try to put them in the washing machine and wear them until they are dry. Mine did mold more to my feet

[Anna C]

We usually de-shank dd's pointes for class but by the time they get to that stage they're usually pretty dead and shabby! These are for her Intermediate exam so they have to look reasonably decent. I only buy soft blocks for exams etc.

[Thecatsmother]

Personally I always liked a bit of hardness around toe area as once that is gone it is harder to make feet look so good even with v bendy feet. I used to prefer broken down pointe shoes at vocational school as lasted longer than soft blocks. Mind you my consumption of pointe shoes was quite high with lots of pas de deux and v arched feet.

[southerndancemum]

resurrecting old thread as DD been asking about demi-pointe shoes - a little confused about them. are they the same as soft blocks?

If you are in pointe why would you use demi pointe shoes?

I imagine she's asking the questions as she's totally desperate to roll her life fwd a few years so she can go on pointe and wonders if she can wear these at home etc. I'm not so desperate for this to happen as you can imagine but open to idea if it won't do her damage.

Thanks for any advice

[CharlieChuck]

I wear Grishko's soft pointes, has your DD tried going up a size as I had to cause I have very tapered toes but very broad across the top of my foot.

 

I ran a damp sponge over my box, hammered the bottom of the box (the bottom of the shoe/sole) with a flat topped hammer and then once they rehardened which is common in grishkos I ran a damp sponge over them again. They're really quiet now and the box has molded to the shape of my foot

[2dancersmum]

demi pointes are the same thing as soft blocks. Some schools get their dancers to wear them before they go on pointe. They are required for RAD exams instead of normal ballet shoes from intermediate grade upwards. My DDs wore them from intermediate. No advice about whether they could be worn at home or not - I'm not a teacher.

[Dance*is*life]

You don't need to wear soft blocks for RAD Intermediate Foundation, which is the first exam where pointe work is introduced, but there are still some teachers who require this.  I don't know if it's a good idea or not as it's very hard on the feet, but even though I understand the reason for using them and I myself had to wear them for years when I was training, I don't like them.  I have students who are really strong on pointe - able to do double pirouettes - but in demi-pountes/soft blocks find it difficult to do a double.  The vamp prevents them from going on to demi-pointe properly and one poor girl has terrible pains, just where the vamp cuts in.  They are learning variations in pointe class, so are jumping and balancing with no problem in real pointe shoes, but are finding it really hard to jump in soft pointes.  I don't know why this is - I don't remember they're being so uncomfortable when I used them.  Ready made demi-pointes didn't exist then, so we just removed the backs of pointe shoes.  I wonder if the trend nowadays is to make shoes with longer vamps and that is the problem?

[taxi4ballet]

Soft blocks do seem to come in a one-size-fits-all vamp height, no good at all for people with short toes.

[Flit and float]

I had Gamba soft pointes years & years ago - they were great, a proper inbetween shoe that you could dance in ok, & broke in nicely. Had Blochs which were OK & Grishkos, & one pair of Freed pointe shoes that worked as soft blocks, then didn't wear them for years, recent Grishkos are a nightmare - so hard & unworkable despite being bashed with a hammer so many times, washed in the washing machine....I've actually hacked them to bits & taken out a lot of the insides, they will not die!