Gaynor Minden Pointe Shoes

[Kat09]

Is anyone able to tell me about their dds experiences with these shoes - I'm tempted by their reported longevity (my dds Blochs have lasted 3 weeks ) I have read mixed reports - would love to hear from forumite dancers (or their mums) and teachers - thank you

[hfbrew]

I personally don't think they are suitable for young students because of their shape, fine for students who know how to use their feet. One of my students, when doing EYB a few years back had her big toes go completely black after rehearsing in Gaynor Mindens because the shoes allowed all the weight to bear down on the toes and the feet weren't doing any work.

 

Its a sad fact that pointe shoes do wear out quickly, its an expensive part of a female dancers life. My feet ended up being phenomally strong because I could only afford one pair a term, luckily I have fat, square, robust feet!

[twinkletoes]

personally I like the Gaynor Mindens but i know there are mixed views on them, I am rather worried about toes turning black as that seems to indicate that there may be an underlying technique issue with the dancer rather than the shoe being solely to blame but different students take different position ques from their shoes and finding a shoe that suits you as a dancer is once of the hardest things ... and there are some very expensive mistakes made along the way

[ElllieP]

Gaynor Mindens seem to be very controversial. My DD always wanted to try a pair and was encouraged to by a London fitter - she loved the feel and look of them but when she presented them to her dance teacher, he had a fit! He called them 'American dress-up shoes' and was definitely not impressed. After he calmed down he explained that they were just not right for her feet, which needed particular elements. He is a very experienced teacher and RAD examiner. She is now in Freed (an excellent fitting experience) and everyone is happy! But it was an expensive mistake. I know others will endorse this - get advice from your teacher.

[afab]

Both my DDs (13 and 15) have been using them for a couple of years and they just love them. My eldest used to go over her pointe shoes and twist her ankle each time as her feet are banana shaped and extremely strong and the problem stopped altogether when she switched to GM. She had to try another brand last week as the shop was out of GM in her size and she hated them, she said they were so painful! She decided to wait rather than buy anything else...

DD2 is also convinced and I never heard anything negative from any of their teachers...

 

Price wise, I much prefer spending twice the price on something that will last at least 6 months and sometimes more than spending less but having to buy a new pair every month...

 

Hope it helps...

[BankruptMum]

My DD is currently wearing a Grishko shoe and but took the opportunity at Dancia whilst being fitted to try the Gaynor Minden as she liked the sound of them.

 

They only had a soft or medium shank there for her to try and she really disliked them and they were dismissed very quickly - even the medium was very soft and the shoe lightweight which she disliked.

 

My DD would prefer the shoe to mould to her rather than the foot shape to the shoe if that makes sense.

 

It does seem to be a 'marmite' shoe!

[famcandance2]

Am still battling with pointe shoes for my ds! Dance shop said they could get his size coz it said on the web they made them, only to find when ordering that they don't make that size! We are trying to find other options.

[hfbrew]

Banana shaped, very strong feet would be ok for Gaynor Mindens.

 

And certainly an experienced, capable student well used to doing lots of pointe work correctly should know whether they suit or not.

 

I was cross about what happened with my student as I had specifically advised that these shoes would not help a student how to work their feet correctly. She then had to rehearse all day in them with EYB, something I would have cautioned against knowing her lack of experience but alas by the time I was aware of what was happening the damage was done.

 

On talking to other teachers and students from othe schools I found that sadly this problem had occurred with others too. I also know older very experienced dancers who love their Gaynor Mindens because they feel that they flatter their feet but I stress that these are people whose feet have stopped growing for starters and were at advanced level.

[Fiz]

What do you think about Capulet pointe shoes? I really fancy them, if I ever get to go on pointe!

[Kat09]

Thank you everyone for your input - if any of them had pre sewn ribbons - that would be the winner for me

[Lottie]

Famcandance2 - have you tried Freeds in London? Years ago I was in their shop buying some leggings for DS and on the floor were some size 12 pointe shoes. We made some comment to the sales assistant about not realising that pointe shoes were made in large sizes and she said that a male dancer had been trying them on.

I can't remember if someone else has already suggested Freeds before.

[famcandance2]

Thanks, will give them a go.

[hfbrew]

When my ds toured Freeds factory on a school trip he saw all the shoes that had been made for the all male ballet company Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo!

[Lottie]

famcandance2

If you live out of London perhaps give them a call about shoes and sizes to save you a wasted journey.

If they can't help you, ask them if they know anyone who might be able to help as they might be able to point you in the right direction. (pun not intended!)

[Fiz]

Capulets, anyone?

[Sheila Beelam]

Love capulets Fiz!

 

Changed from Gaynors to these and they are the comfiest shoe I've ever worn. No pouches or wool, just built in cushioning.

 

I seemed to knuckle in GMs after a while as the box would soften before the shank- had to harden with glue - not had this problem in Capulet and shank going strong after several months!

 

They also survived a nail brush scrub before an exam - as the box isnt traditional construction you can get it wet withought softening and the satin stood up to scrubbing too!

 

And cheaper than GMs!

 

[Fiz]

Oh, they do sound good! I liked what I read about them on line. I suppose I will have to go to London for them? I would not buy them on the net without trying them

[Fiz]

Thank you, JustBallet!

[swanprincess]

Hi everyone! I brought a pair of Mindens from Dancia, London, a couple of months ago. Due to the cost of them, I'd decided to only wear them for auditions/shows. I put them on to see where to sew the ribbons. When rising to pointe, especially en demi pointe, the shoes seem very tight around the back of my foot (near the Achilles tendon). Will the shoes stretch as I break them in, or would it be best to take them back to Dancia, and see if I can exchange them for a larger size? (never worn them so they are pristine, with the price tag still attatched and no ribbons/elastics sewn.) Thanks!

[primrose]

I would go back to the shop and ask the advice of the manager, she is fantastic at fitting pointe shoes.

[Pups_mum]

Sounds like they are too small - I would take them back. My DD wears GMs and we were told that she should be able to "pinch" about half a cm of material behind her heel when en pointe. You can download a fitting guide from Gaynor Minden which explains it http://www.dancer.com/fitting_gm-comprehensive-guide-to-fitting.php

I would caution against only wearing your GMs for auditions and shows though. When my DD first started wearing them she found them quite different to dance in compared to the other shoes she'd had, and of course they don't suit every dancer. I would suggest you get used to them before wearing them in situations where you want to be at your best and feel comfortable and relaxed. I've never done an audition myself, but I would imagine that wearing a pair of shoes that feel like old friends would be better than a new, unfamiliar feeling pair.

[Jazzpaws]

DD has Gaynor Minden pointe shoes and loves them. I must they they have lasted a long time and other makes break very quickly as she has strong feet. A bit worrying, because I hear people say that Gaynors do all the work for your feet and they do seem to be disliked by some associate scheme teachers. I 'm wondering if she should try other makes as well rather than become dependant on just one type of shoe and would Gaynors cause a bad impression at audition ?

[Dancer Sugar Plum]

I have used Gaynors before but I stopped using them because I found the fit wasn't as exact as they could be/should be. I had problems with my big toe joint while I was using them, so it's hard for me not to blame them. However, I found them light and quiet, which is great. They are flattering to the feet when you're up en pointe. But when I switched back to 'normal' pointe shoes it felt very strange for a while. It was then I understood what people meant when they say Gaynors 'help' too much. With Gaynors, it's easy to depend on the 'spring' they have, which you don't get with normal pointe shoes. I think this is why people say they 'do all the work for your feet'. Would your DD been open to finding a 'normal' pointe shoe and comparing the feel with Gaynors? That way she'll have a 'normal' pointe shoe to fall back on and not be reliant on Gaynors, if this is what bothers her.

[Legseleven]

DD also kills shoes horribly quickly but found Grishkos lasted a reasonable period and wants to try the Bloch strong shanks as well. Freed Pros were dead very quickly and I understand that this is not unusual with Freeds on highly arched, strong feet. So far we have resisted trying Gaynors but may well do so at some point.

[Pups_mum]

My DD wears Gaynor Minden shoes and she feels that far from making her feet "lazy" they are now stronger. Her view, is that whilst it is true that you can rely on the springiness of the shoe to "jump" up onto pointe rather than roll up through demi pointe properly, you don't have to - it's not the shoes that "make" you do that. She says that at first she found it hard to roll up (and down) through demi pointe in the GMs than in the  traditionally constructed shoes she had had before, so she had to really work hard to do it properly, and her feet, as a result she believes, have become much stronger. Her opinion is that she is glad that she didn't have this type of shoes when first starting out on pointe, as it is easier to learn the correct technique in traditional shoes, but that once she had a reasonable grasp of what she was doing she was really pleased with the change. She particularly likes the fact that the Gaynor's are so comfortable that she doesn't need to wear any kind of padding inside the shoe which she says makes pointe work easier. I have seen some girls wearing Gaynor's who do seem to be pretty much catapulted up onto pointe by their shoes who struggle to control the descent, so obviously this can be a problem, but it doesn't happen to everyone.DD tells me that she thinks that this is probably due to the fact that either their feet are not strong enough to overcome the springiness of the shoes and that they would be better suited to another type of shoe, or that they haven't learned the correct technique and don't know how it should feel.

Obviously she is just a teenage girl and no expert on these matters, and I'm even less knowledgeable, but it makes some sense to me. I noticed this article on the Gaynor Minden website where towards the end of the piece, Alina Cojocaru seems to be saying something along the same lines. http://www.dancer.com/careers-restored/alina-cojocaru.php (Obviously it's a testimonial on the manufacturer's website so it's not likely to be an unflattering portrayal of the shoes, but I found it interesting nevertheless.)

The only think DD doesn't like about GMs actually is that she doesn't think they are particularly aesthetically pleasing and she much preferred the look of the Grishkos she had previously - but the comfort wins over the looks for her!

[Jazzpaws]

Thanks for the comments. Gaynor's are more expensive, but DD's shoes have lasted the year and have just died - RIP ! so they have been very economical in the long run ! I know what you mean Pups-mum but she does roll up through demi pointe with her Gaynor's - her teacher is very strict about that! Have also bought her 2 pairs of Freeds (fitted in their London Shop) because she loves their soft blocks and thought the second pair with the hard shank was better, but after 3 classes, they are going soft and she doesn't feel as stable on pointe.

So we went round the shops in London last Saturday - tried the Capezio's but no luck there, much too soft, even the fitter said they were not suitable, perhaps try when they bring out their hard shank shoe. She did like the hard shank Bloch shoes and the fitter was brilliant so that is a possibility. Tried the Grishko's - the Pro Flex would last about 1 lesson and she did prefer Bloch. She tried on a pair of Gaynor's with a wider platform and they did look nicer than her current pair that has a small platform and does look a bit pointy - agree with your DD Pups-mum, the other shoes do make her feet look so much nicer, might try the Bloch shoes as they looked lovely and see how she gets on with them (would hope they last a few lessons or I'll need a second mortgage !).

Or perhaps stick with the Gaynor's while she is auditioning as she is used to them and hope it doesn't go against her. Wonder if they are allowed to wear Gaynor's at college!

[Jazzpaws]

DD also kills shoes horribly quickly but found Grishkos lasted a reasonable period and wants to try the Bloch strong shanks as well. Freed Pros were dead very quickly and I understand that this is not unusual with Freeds on highly arched, strong feet. So far we have resisted trying Gaynors but may well do so at some point.

Thanks Legseleven, just wonder why you have resisted Gaynor's, if it's the cost, I have found them cheaper in the long run or is it because they seem frowned on ?

[balletmadmom]

My daughter got a pair a couple of years ago and they looked lovely, but she was told at Royal associates (cannot remember if it was MAs or SAs) that they were not to be worn!

[Pups_mum]

As I say, I'm no expert, but as long as she is using correct technique Jazzpaws, I wouldn't think you need to worry that the shoes are in anyway harmful to your DD. I would be a be inclined to stick with whatever she feels most happy and confident in myself. A friend of my DD got offers from a couple of reputable 6th forms after auditioning wearing GMs last year, so if there is prejudice against them, it obviously isn't universal. I would like to think that the people on audition panels are skillful enough to be able to tell if a student has the various factors that they require whatever shoes are on her feet anyway. Someone told my DD that she should get different shoes for her Advanced Foundation exam in the summer because "the examiner might not like them" but her teacher told her to stick wiyh what she was used to. Well she got a distinction, so clearly her choice of shoes didn't do that much harm.

Clearly there are people who disapprove of GMs and probably other more "hi tech" pointe shoes though. I do sometimes get the urge to remind people that GM in this context doesn't stand for "genetically modified" and that they are unlikely to be the cause of the downfall of civilisation as we know it ;-)

Edited November 6, 2013 by Pups_mum

[Jazzpaws]

DD is RBS SA and her teacher hasn't said anything negative about Gaynor's, just to wear shoes that she is most comfortable in, but I have heard  negative comments from other associate schemes about them, just wonder if she should wear them for auditions

[Jazzpaws]

As I say, I'm no expert, but as long as she is using correct technique Jazzpaws, I wouldn't think you need to worry that the shoes are in anyway harmful to your DD. I would be a be inclined to stick with whatever she feels most happy and confident in myself. A friend of my DD got offers from a couple of reputable 6th forms after auditioning wearing GMs last year, so if there is prejudice against them, it obviously isn't universal. I would like to think that the people on audition panels are skillful enough to be able to tell if a student has the various factors that they require whatever shoes are on her feet anyway. Someone told my DD that she should get different shoes for her Advanced Foundation exam in the summer because "the examiner might not like them" but her teacher told her to stick wiyh what she was used to. Well she got a distinction, so clearly her choice of shoes didn't do that much harm.

Clearly there are people who disapprove of GMs and probably other more "hi tech" pointe shoes though. I do sometimes get the urge to remind people that GM in this context doesn't stand for "genetically modified" and that they are unlikely to be the cause of the downfall of civilisation as we know it ;-)

Thanks Pups-mum, DD also got a distinction for Advanced Foundation wearing the genetically modified shoes,ha ha

Perhaps they may gain approval as time goes on - we'll probably have another try in the Bloch shop again(they did look lovely on her fet) , as we are in the area every Saturday and then make a decision - certainly can't afford to buy shoes that only last a couple of weeks unless that winning lottery ticket comes up !

[Anna C]

You can certainly make Freeds last longer than a couple of weeks (thank goodness!)

 

If your dd and her teachers are happy with Gaynors, then I can't see why an audition panel would frown upon them, particularly if she isn't relying on the shoes too much. If you want to try others then I think it's a good idea to get a comparison so if you're going to Bloch then you may as well try Grishkos in Dancia, and Freed too. Then you have a really comprehensive idea of what else is available. :-)

[Jazzpaws]

Thank's Spanner she has tried 2 pairs of Freed's, still just on the go - may be able to use wood hardener to make them last a little longer. She preferred the Bloch's to the Grishko's and they looked lovely, so will go back and have another look. I am wondering why there is prejudice against Gaynor's, is it just because they are a newer type of shoe ?